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iVA"

1897-1937

Right in Your Own Neighborhood

WASHINGTON

VIRGINIA

QUEBEC

OREGON

AND DEATH VALLEY • MEXICO CITY
GRAND CANYON • LAKE LOUISE
THOUSAND ISLANDS • NEW ORLEANS
SHELL WILL PLAN YOU TRIPS TO
THESE, AND OTHER SCENIC WONDERS..

ASK SHELL!

CALIFORNIA

JUST down the street from you
is a Shell dealer. Every kind
of motor travel information is
at his finger-tips.

Perhaps you plan a week-end

trip. Maybe a long vacation.

Whichever it is, let your Shell

dealer work out your complete

route. Show you the best roads

to take. Suggest points of interest along the way you

shouldn't miss seeing. And a dozen and one other helps

to make your journey pleasant.

No charge for this service. Simply drive in when you
are ready. Ask all the questions you want. Get all the
help you need. And when you are on your happy way,
you will find Shell "Travel Bureaus" all along the route.

NO "GUESS-AND-TALK" SERVICE

Your neighborhood Shell dealer bases his advice on Shell Finger-Tip
Travel Information reference books, Shell State highway maps,
Shell Metropolitan street maps, the famous Shell Directories that
list hotels, resorts, auto courts, trailer parks. And on his direct
contact with Shell Touring Headquarters.

Touring Service

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

[Portrait of a JLadyi . . .

and

Thrilling similarity of the mode
. . . the I897 hip - length
basque that made grandma
such a charming lady, in a
new 1 937 version that wi
make you charming too. Stun-
ning two piece olive green
sheer wool costume with
black satin blouse and black
persian cloth trim, $29.75.
Black felt hat with persian
trim, $5.00. Matrix shoes,
black suede with clever
stitching, $8.75. Black suede
bag, $3.98. Gloves $2.98.

ZCM

America's First Department Store

657

87 Years of Transportation Progress

The Mormon Trail still was
dusty with wagon trains when
the Aurora Branch Railroad,
forerunner of the Burlington,
commenced operations over
strap-iron rails on September 2,
1850.

A dozen years after the exo-
dus from Nauvoo, Burlington
rails were following the fresh
ruts of Mormon wagon trains
westward across Iowa.

The Spring of 1882 saw the
Burlington in Denver — a new
transportation artery dedicated
to the development of the Rocky
Mountain West.

By the Fall of 1897, when the
Improvement Era was founded
by Heber I. Grant, the Bur-
lington had become a
transportation system
operating more than
7,000 miles of rail-
road. We thought we
had come a long way.

But, as the last 40 years have
eloquently proved, the growth
of the West and the Burlington
had just begun. Population,
industry and agriculture have
doubled, trebled, quadrupled.
The Burlington Lines have ex-
panded to 12,000 miles, reach-
ing 14 states. Freight and pass-
enger trains operate at speeds
undreamed of a few short years
ago. Travelers aboard luxurious
streamline Zephyrs now traverse
in fleeting hours distances that
took intrepid emigrants weary
weeks.

Again we say that we have
come a long way, much of it
together, and the Burlington
takes this occasion of the 40th
anniversary of the Improvement
Era to salute its friends and
patrons in the Rocky
Mountain West, and to
predict that 40 years
hence we can repeat:
"We have come a
long way."

(grating (&txtb$

featuring the smartest lines
available. Outstanding, beau-
tiful. Over 1000 styles from
which to select.

CHRISTMAS CARDS that are
distinctive and personally im-
printed. Priced

50 for $1.00

25 for ..$1.79

25 for .__ $1.95

(And up to $50.00 per 100)

PEMBROK E

24 East Broadway— Salt Lake City

658

WHAT LEADERS ARE SAYING

Burley, Idaho.
September 18, 1937.
"Every number of the Era, beginning
with volume one, has come to our home.
Were my wishes granted, the Era would
be found in every Latter-day Saint home
in our stake. There could not be greater
spiritual help. My bound volumes are
invaluable as reference books.
"Sincerely,
(Signed) David R. Langlois"

President of Burley Stake.

Overton, Nevada,
September 17, 1937
"As a missionary from November, 1899,
to March, 1902, the Era came as one visiting
from home. It has been a member of our
family since 1904. We have enjoyed its
pages, and appreciate its influence. Our
aim in the Moapa Stake is to have an Era
in every home.
"Respectfully,
( Signed ) Willard L. Jones,"

President of Moapa Stake,

September 25, 1937.

"The success of the Long Beach Stake in
placing The Improvement Era in the homes
of Latter-day Saints is due principally to
the firm conviction we have that The Im~
provement Era is the greatest missionary
force in the Church today.

"Many of our families would no more
think of refusing to subscribe for the Bra
than they would to turn down an official
call for missionary service. We know
that homes where the Era is received and
read enjoy rich spiritual blessings which
would not come to them otherwise.

"Our Stake Era Director is a man whose
life's profession is salesmanship and he
has accepted the appointment of Era Direc-
tor as a call to missionary service. The
Lord is blessing him with the ability to
instill into the hearts of his co-workers the
spirit of missionary service of the Era.
Recently upon his recommendation the new
group of Stake Missionaries adopted the
placement of Eras as their special mission-
ary project during the winter. We are
looking for some pleasant surprises from
this source.

"With sincere appreciation for the out-
standing magazine you are giving us,

"Sincerely your brother,
(Signed) /. W.Jones"

President of Long Beach Stake.

July 22, 1937.
"... I know of no magazine of equal
standard and the quality of the material is
unsurpassed. I congratulate you and wish
you continued success.

"Your brother in the Gospel,
(Signed) George Albert Smith."

Of the Council of the Twelve.
{Continued on page 660)

The "Era" Advertisers Merit Your Patronage.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

JhsL "ERA'S

J>ihAt SavinqA Sank

First Zion's Savings Bank ad in Volume L Number 1,
of the Era. 40 Years Ago

SAVE YOUR MONEY AND WHEN YOU GET A DOLLAR

D
E
P
O
S
I
T

W
I

T
H

DIRECTORS:

Wilford Woodruff,

President.

George Q. Cannon,

1 ice -President,

George M. Cannon,
Cashier.

Joseph t. Smith,

Lorenzo Snow,

Francis M. Lyman,

Beber J, Grant,

Angus M . Cannon,

T. G. Webber,

James Jack,

B. B. GlmrsoB,

George Reynold*,

L. John KoUall.

ZION'S SAVINPS BVNK AND TRUST0 COMPANY,

1, 3, & 5 MAIN ST., SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH,

Forty years ago, the same year in which the Brigham Young Monument
was unveiled on Zion's Savings Bank corner, this bank extended the
hand of fellowship to the infant magazine, The Improvement Era.
"Zion's" believed in the need for such a magazine and in the ability of
its business and editorial staffs, which included Heber J. Grant and
Thomas Hull, business managers, and Joseph F. Smith and B. H. Roberts,
editors.

In the very first issue, Zion's Savings Bank 5c Trust Company became
the magazine's first savings bank advertiser. A copy of this ad is repro-
duced above. The message of that ad, and the bank's same message
to "Era" readers after 40 years, is,

Save your money and deposit it with

ZION'S SAVINGS BANK & TRUST CO.

MAIN AT SOUTH TEMPLE— SALT LAKE CITY

OFFICERS

HEBER J. GRANT
JOHN F. BENNETT
GEORGE S. SPENCER
WILLARD R. SMITH
WILLIAM McEWAN -
J. FORBES DONE
WM. T. PATRICK
CLARON O. SPENCER

PRESIDENT

VICE-PRESIDENT

CASHIER

ASST. CASHIER & TRUST OFFICER

ASST. CASHIER

ASST. TRUST OFFICER

HEBER J. GRANT
ASAHEL H. WOODRUFF
LEWIS TELLE CANNON
JOHN F. BENNETT

DIRECTORS

ARTHUR WINTER GEORGE S. SPENCER

WILLARD T. CANNON WALDEMAR VAN COTT

JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH GEORGE J. CANNON

WILLARD R. SMITH ORVAL W. ADAMS

J. REUBEN CLARK,
DAVID O. MCKAY
HERBERT A. SNOW

JR.

659

3<tfdisdk. dnmvajuwu^ Q&auul, 1897-1937

T^HmprooementCra

'The Glory of God is Intelligence"

NOVEMBER, 1937

VOLUME 4 0

NUMBER 11

THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH'

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS,
MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS, DEPART-
MENT OF EDUCATION, MUSIC COMMITTEE, WARD
TEACHERS, AND OTHER AGENCIES OF THE CHURCH
OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.

Heber J.

Grant,

John A.

Widtsoe,

Editors

Richard L. Evans,

Managing

Editor

Marba C

Josephson,

Associate

Editor

George Q.

Morris, General Mg

Clarissa A,

Beesley, Associate

Mgr.

J. K. Orton

, Business Mgr.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

cJhe Editors [Page

A Call to Church Leaders Heber J. Grant 665

(church C/ea tares

The Church Looks Into the Future J. Reuben Clark, Jr. 666

President Grant's First Era Article 670

From the Presiding Councils and Auxiliaries 682

The Log of a European Tour ..Lucy Grant Cannon 688

What Church Leaders Are Saying 658, 660, 695

Interior Views of the Manti, Utah, and Alberta, Canada,

Temples .690, 691

The Era's Three Decades as the Organ of the Priesthood. ... 693
Some Facts About the Church Forty Years Ago — And Now,
669; Church Moves On, 694; Priesthood: Melchizedek, 700;
Aaronic, 701; Ward Teaching, 702; Mutual Messages: Ex-
ecutives, 704; Adults, 705; Seniors, 705; M Men, 705;
Gleaners, 706; M Men-Gleaners, 706; Juniors, 707; Scouts,
707.

Special 6/eatures

Forty Years of Change Glynn Bennion 672

Forty Years of Service Harrison R. Merrill 678

A Woman of Vision.. .Marba C, Josephson 684

Ensign Challenges Richard L. Evans 686

On the Book Rack, 697; Homing, 698; Exploring the Uni-
verse, Franklin S. Harris, Jr., 703; Your Page and Ours, 728;
Index to Advertisers, 709.

(bditortais

Forty Years John A. Widtsoe 692

A Woman's Changed World Marba C. Josephson 692

cftction, [Poetry, Cross word [Puzzle

Frontispiece Heber J. Grant 663

The Outlaw of Navajo Mountain Albert R. Lyman 676

Two Brothers — A Short Short Story Helen Tenna Tyree 683

A Good Investment Gilbert H, Andrews 687

Poetry Page, 696; Shining Faith, Ruby W. Simmerman, 702;
Scriptural Crossword Puzzle, 716.

oJhe Co

vet'

Our Fortieth Anniversary cover was drawn by The Improvement Era's staff artist,
Fielding K. Smith. It uses the architecture of the Latter-day Saint Temples as
the symbol of forty years of change and progress. The lower figure is the profile of
the Manti, Utah, Temple, with its Nineteenth Century architecture. The spires of the
Salt Lake Temple break through the center, and the top figure is an exaggerated
conception of the L. D. S. Alberta Temple (Cardston, Canada) showing what may
well be the temple of the future. The horse and buggy below and the airplane above
show through what era our people have seen the world progress, in their travel to
and from the Temples of the Living God.

660

WHAT LEADERS ARE SAYING

(Continued from page 658)

July 23, 1937.

"... I sincerely congratulate you
together with your associates on the
way in which you are directing the
affairs of the Era.

"May the future be full of joy and
success for you and your co-workers.

'Sincerely your brother,

(Signed) Reed Smoot."

Of the Council of the Twelve.

London, W. C. 1,
July 9, 1936.
"... I congratulate you most
heartily upon the growing popularity
of the Era.

"With cordial good wishes.
"Sincerely your brother,
(Signed) Joseph F. Merrill,"

Of the Council of the Twelve.

5 Gordon Square,
London, W. C. 1,
August 31, 1937.
"The Era is glorious. We enjoy it
immensely.

"Very sincerely yours,
(Signed) Amy Brown Lyman,"

Directing Women Activities
in Europe.

Minneapolis, Minnesota,
September, 1937.
"It has been my good fortune to re-
ceive every number of the Era pub-
lished. The North Central States Mis-
sion considers the Era 'The Voice of
the Church,' the second best literature
agency for stimulating life in the mis-
sion, and for converting souls, the
Book of Mormon alone excepted.

"Sincerely yours,
(Signed) ' D. A. Broadbent,"

President of the North Central
States Mission.

{Continued on page 695)

EXECUTIVE AND EDITORIAL

OFFICES:
50 North Main Street, Salt Lake

City, Utah

Copyright 1937, by the Young Men's Mutual
Improvement Association Corporation of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
All rights reserved. Subscription price, $2.00
a year, in advance; 20c Single Copy.

Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City,
Utah, as second-class matter. Acceptance for
mailing at special rate of postage provided
for in section 1103, Act of October, 1917,
authorized July 2, 1918.

The Improvement Era is not responsible
for unsolicited manuscripts, but welcomes con-
tributions. All manuscripts must be accompanied
by sufficient postage for delivery and return.

A MAGAZINE FOR EVERY
MEMBER OF THE FAMILY

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

-N^SSSS

Congratulations to the Improvement Era on its fortieth birthday!

Forty years have wrought many changes, one of the most beneficial of which is im-
provement in standards of living.

As we glance back into our "yesterdays" there will always be many cherished mem-
ories— but who would wish to return to the discomforts and inconveniences of those
"good old days" of the nineties?

In the "better homes" of forty years ago there might have been found a single drop
cord, in each room, with an old-style carbon bulb, switched on and off at the lamp.
In many homes the lighting was not even that far advanced. The coal oil lamp was
still the only source of artificial light. Housework was back-breaking drudgery.

It is difficult now to imagine a return to those conditions. Today, nowhere is the full
use and enjoyment of electricity so evident as in the homes of this section. Today
practically every family in the territory we serve has available the benefits of modem
lighting, scientifically designed for protecting eyesight and beautifying the home. Today
electric servants do the cooking, refrigeration, water heating and perform numerous
other household tasks, in many, many thousands of these homes — at a remarkably
small cost.

Adequate, dependable and low-cost Electric Service has made today's home more
than a place in which to live. The home of today has become a place in which to
enjoy living.

,.-• \^N.N\X

Electricity is the Biggest Bargain in the Home

UTAH POWE

LIGHT CO

The Advertisers of the "Era" Merit Your Support.

661

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

asolinean

J Oil

have chanqed , too j

• your sleek streamlined
automobile with its high-compression, smooth-running en-
gine, could not have been developed without the advances
that have been made in refining gasoline and motor oil.
In the intermountain territory, Pep 88 and Vico set the pace
for modern performance. These products are made in one
of America's most modern refineries where the latest devel-
opments of science are utilized to produce gasoline and oil
that give you enjoyable and economical motoring.

UTAH OIL REFINING COMPANY

STATIONS EVERYWHERE IN UTAH AND IDAHO

662

Deseret News Photo.

PRESIDENT HEBER J GRANT

| W/ORLD nea<^ 0/ ^ne Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and

beloved leader of his people as he appears seated at his desk in the
Church Office building, Salt Lake City, as he approaches the Eighty-first
Anniversary of his birth which occurs November 22, 1937,

663

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

Mural in the Union Pacific Depot, Salt-
Lake City, showing the driving of the
golden spike at Promontory, Utah, in
1 869, which marked the beginning of
transcontinental railroad service in the
United States.

(JN behalf of the Union Pacific Railroad and its
employees, I am happy to extend greetings and
best wishes to President Heber J. Grant and the
great Mormon people and to heartily congratu-
late The Improvement Era on its Fortieth
Anniversary.

President

UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Mural in the Union Pacific Depot in
Salt Lake City depicting the con-
quest of the Inland West by Brigham
Young and the Mormon people.

664

Jb^^kuAdv

o man can proclaim this gospel
by the Spirit of the Living God

unless that man is living his religion."

PRESIDENT HEBER J. GRANT

observe the
and we ask
the Church

ut of the 108th
ference, held in
Salt Lake City, October 1st
elusive, there came from the

I am very pleased indeed to express my deep ap-
preciation of our Conference, from start to
finish.

I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
am thankful for the devotion of the
Saints as a whole.

I announced here at the Priesthood meeting last
night and I decided to> announce it again that
we expect all the General Officers of the Church,
each and every one of them, from
this very day, to be absolute, full-
tithepayers, to really and truly
Word of Wisdom;
all of the officers of
and all members of
the General Boards, and all Stake
and Ward officers, if they are not
living the Gospel and honestly
and conscientiously paying their
tithing, to kindly step aside, un-
less from this day they live up to
these provisions.

We have undertaken a most
stupendous work and there will be
no difficulty whatever in carrying out that great
work. We will have an abundance to take care of
every living Latter-day Saint who is in distress.
Mind you, when I say Latter-day Saint I mean Lat-
ter-day Saint. I am not talking about idlers. I am
not talking about people that want to lie down and
let somebody else take care of them — I am talking
of Latter-day Saints. If the people will pay their
tithing and if they will keep the Word of Wisdom,
and will actually, really, and for a fact, fast two
meals once a month and give the equivalent, we will
be able to carry forward our Security Plan without
any trouble whatever.

It is simply marvelous that people can live on
eleven cents, some of them — two meals a day once
each month for twelve months in the year — twenty-
four meals on a half a cent a meal. [Or at least,
so their fast offerings would indicate.]

We feel that in all the stakes of Zion, every stake
president, every counselor to a stake president,
every stake clerk, and every high councillor, stand-
ing at the head of the people in the stake — we ask
them to kindly step aside unless they are living up
to these laws. They are given the responsibility
of presiding, and every officer who is a presiding
officer should say from today: "I am going to serve
the Lord, so that my example will be worthy of
imitation."

we must renew our loyalty to God, and I believe
beyond a shadow of doubt that God inspires and
blesses, and multiplies our substance when we are
honest with Him. We do not want in this day a
repetition of what the scriptures tell us was the
condition in years gone by, wherein the Lord de-
clares that He had been robbed, because of the
failure of the people to live the financial law that
God has revealed.

Now, I pray from the bottom of my heart that
God will give each and every man and woman who
holds an office in any stake or ward the spirit and
Latter-day the feeling and the determination from this day, to
renew his covenants with God, to live his religion;
and if we are too weak to do> these things, we
step aside and let somebody else take our

should
place.

Semi-annual Con
the Tabernacle

to 3rd in-
leaders of

the Church such messages, spoken with
power and authority, and pertaining so
vitally to our temporal and spiritual
well-being, that all of them should be in
the hands of every member of the
Church, to be read and re-read. Doubt-
less the most significant message of the
Conference was the one reprinted here
which President Grant left sounding in
the hearts of the Latter-day Saints there
assembled as he closed the final session.

The Word of Wisdom, we are
told, is such that it can be kept by
"the weak and the weakest of all
Saints." I have heard that some
of the members of Boards, after
the law was passed legalizing
beer, said: "Well, I do declare,
now I am entitled to have a glass
of beer." No Latter-day Saint is
entitled to anything that is con-
trary to the mind and will of the
Lord, and the Word of Wisdom
is the mind and the will of the
Lord.

I want you to know that this
will make no difference to me personally, but as the
shepherd of the flock, the day has come, in my
judgment and in the judgment of my associates,
that we must live up to and be loyal to this work
and serve God with all our heart, might, mind, and
strength, if we are to accomplish what the Lord
wants us to do.

I thank you all for your presence here.
I thank the Lord for the splendid Conference
we have had. In so far as God has given me
the power to do so, I pray God to bless you
one and all, I pray God to bless all the
Latter-day Saints. I pray God to bless every
soul that has good intentions, and to strengthen
him and her in their determination to keep the
commandments of the Lord. I love the Lord; I
love the Latter-day Saints; I love the honest the
world over; I have no animosity against any living
soul. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is one of for-
giveness of wrong-doing. It is a part of the Gospel
to forgive those who have done wrong, when they
repent, but "By this ye may know if a man re-
penteth of his sins — behold, he will confess them
and forsake them." He will do them no more.

The time has expired.

May God's blessing be with each and all of you,
and with all the Saints, and with all the honest
the world over, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ,
our Redeemer, Amen.

( These were the President's closing words at the 108th
Semi-annual Conference in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City,
Sunday afternoon, October 3, 1937.)

665

3hjL CHURCH LOOKS

By J. REUBEN CLARK, JR.

Of the First Presidency

666

The days of our infancy and
early childhood are filled with
a growing awareness of time,
space, gravity, the elements, and
bodily well-being; and thence to the
grave is a constant struggle to over-
come the handicaps — the inhibitions
and limitations — imposed by these
physical incidents of our being. To
the gaining of the experiences of
mastering these incidents must be
added the experiences having to do
with making the biological part of
man articulate and with the cultiva-
tion and interchange of thought. The
nearer comes the conquest of these,
the nearer come men together, and
the nearer men approach one an-
other, the nearer comes the univer-
sal brotherhood of men and their
ultimate perfection.

But whatever may be the con-
quests of man, these limitations and
inhibitions remain to clog his ad-
vance and intercourse with others.
Time, space, gravity, the elements,
disease are constantly with him; they
assert themselves with disaster the
instant he ignores or forgets them.
All that man may ever do is to es-
cape or thwart their operation by
the use of other laws. In so far as
man succeeds, he performs miracles.

During the ages, man has gone
long distances towards his ultimate
conquest of all these. From the
shelter of a tree or cave, through the
lean-to, the log hut, the adobe
house, to the giant structure of steel,
concrete, and glass, housing a city
within its four walls; from the lone
footpath in the forest, through the
dirt road, the dust and mud of the
city street, the paved sidewalk, the
paved thoroughfares, to the great
concrete ribbon spanning a conti-
nent; from the pack of a few pounds
on a man's back, through the oxcart,
the horse and buggy, to the railroad
with its thousands of tons, and the
auto truck; from the fleetest runner,
through the pony express, the fast
mail train, to the airplane traveling
a fourth as fast as the earth revolves
on its axis; from the shout that, with
fair air, carried a few hundred feet,
through the telephone linking cities,
to the radio carrying the voice round
the globe with the speed of light (we

have yet to reach the speed of
thought); from the passing down
of story and song by word of mouth,
through the invention of written
characters, the writing by hand on
bulky scrolls of parchment, on rush-
es, on paper, then to the printing
press with its plain black letters,
through woodcuts, steel engravings,
lithographs, photogravures, to gor-
geous pages in natural colors; from
the mangled, gangrenous broken leg
demanding a life, through amputa-
tion with hideous pain without an-
esthetic, to the most refined and
delicate painless operation upon the
very seat of the mind itself, — all
these but indicate man's conquests
of his inhibitions and limitations.

Yet time, space, gravity, the ele-
ments, disease, still inexorably rule
the world; and death waits patient-
ly, silently, at the end of the path
of life. So shallow is man's success
that a faulty iron girder, a weak rail
joint, a loose connection, a poorly
tempered wire brace, a blundering
blade, and his conquest is swallow-
ed up without a ripple in the ocean
of law and force that rules the uni-
verse. Surely man should make his
boasts under his breath.

But however stable or unstable,
however complete or incomplete
these conquests may be, they mark
human progress — how great rela-
tively we may not measure for we
do not know the ultimate, yet man
seems to have come great distances.
But these conquests of energy and
force make human progress, add
to human comfort and well-be-
ing, increase knowledge and quicken
intelligence, and, above all (and this
is the end of it all) promote human
happiness, for the ancient prophet
declared "Men are that they might
have joy." Happiness comes in pro-
portion as we lift ourselves beyond
the reach of the penalty of earth
law; and perfection comes nearer
with happiness.

Thus all knowledge in whatever
field it may rest, all uplifting human
experience, all the ennobling activi-
ties of men, all truths of the uni-
verse, aid men to rise above and
save them from the inhibitions and
limitations of the flesh. The Psalm-
ist of old sang "The law is the
truth." and Tesus said, "Ye shall

NTO THE FUTURE

THE CHURCH, ABSORBING THE TRUTH OF
THE PAST, WILL MAKE ITS OWN THE TRUTH
OF THE FUTURE TO THE ULTIMATE
PERFECTION OF ITS MEMBERS.

And the forward look finds these things
to be true even as they have been
in the past

hphat while man's conquests of force
and energy are yet shallow and un-
stable, they lead him upwards towards
perfection.

HThAT ALL TRUTH IS INTEGRALLY PART OF

the Gospel of Jesus Christ and leads
# us towards perfection.

HThat material rewards may come with-
out EFFORT OR DESERVINGNESS — BUT NOT
m SO WITH THINGS OF THE SPIRIT.

That individualism in spirituality is

fundamental.

rphat the physical inhibitions and limi-
tations of the flesh, and also those
encumbering the spirit because of mor-
tality, must be conquered before perfec-
tion can come.

TThat "this Gospel of the Kingdom shall
be preached in all the world"— and
that "every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess that jesus is the christ,"
— the Church is world-wide.

know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free."

As we make these truths our own,
so perfection approaches. It was
by His perfect knowledge of truth
— and He said to Thomas, "I am
the way, the truth, and the life"- —
that Jesus turned water into wine,
multiplied the loaves and fishes, es-
caped from the threatening mob on
the edge of the cliff at Nazareth and
again within the temple walls at Je-
rusalem, that took Him into the
room with closed windows and doors
to visit the fearsome, questioning,
doubting Apostles; indeed, that
brought Him forth from the tomb
the First Fruits of the Resurrection.
He had said to the angered mob in
His great sermon on the Good Shep-
herd:

Therefore doth ray Father love me, be-
cause I lay down my life, that I might
take it again. No man taketh it from me,
but I lay it down of myself. I have
power to lay it down, and I have power
to take it again. This commandment have

from my Father.

{John

'The

I received
10:17-18)

Hannah prayed of old:

Lord is a God of knowledge."

II.

So the Church and its members
must seek for and cherish knowl-
edge; the finding and learning of
truth must always take their first
thought, because knowledge of truth
leads toward perfection, and the
Master said, "Be ye perfect even
as your Father in Heaven is per-
fect."

Since knowledge of truth leads
to perfection, and since the Gospel
is God's plan to bring men to per-
fection, our affirmation that all truth
is part of the Gospel becomes clear,
and to those who have not followed
the reasons, the declaration of our
Articles of Faith assumes now an
added meaning when we say:

Indeed we may say that we follow the

ILLUSTRATED BY

FIELDING K. SMITH

667

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

admonition of Paul — We believe all things,
we hope all things, we have endured many
things, and hope to be able to endure all
things. If there is anything virtuous, love-
ly or of good report or praiseworthy, we
seek after these things.

Thus the Church glories in all
progress and advancement in sci-
ence, in art, in literature, and in
every avenue of human endeavor
and activity, for every conquest of
a physical inhibition or limitation
upon the freedom of the human
soul makes for perfection. The
Church makes its own every truth
that comes. It casts away all error.
It suspends adoption where truth
and error still contend, until truth
prevails and bares her face, then it
takes her to its bosom and makes
her part of itself. The Church takes
all things of material progress and
uses them for the convenience, com-
fort, and advancement of the mem-
bers, for their edification, education,
and culture, for their social and eco-
nomic welfare and security; no
truth, no principle of well-being or
right living is discountenanced,
withheld, or forbidden. This has
been the rule of the Church from
the beginning.

III.

Dut the things already spoken of
only lead out toward perfection
but not to it, for perfection may not
be reached by mastery over the ma-
terial things alone.

Perfection means also the subju-
gation of the intellectual and spir-
itual limitations and inhibitions
which are incident to the flesh.

But there is an essential and fun-
damental difference between con-
quest and achievement in the phys-
ical and in the spiritual world. One
need not do the works of Morse or
Edison or Marconi in order fully
to enjoy and use the telegraph, the
telephone, the gramophone, or the
radio; nor need one do the works
of the Wrights in order to enjoy
and use to the full the airplane. The
most ignorant and depraved of men
may use all these things for his own
purposes, to serve his own ends,
good or bad, for the benefit or in-
jury of others, as fully as they who
made them. The user has merely
to pay the money price and then
have all of the power, all the effec-
tive use which he who created them
had or can have.

So likewise it is with the works
of the great artists, sculptors, mu-
sicians, dramatists, and men of let-
ters. Save only the creative joy
which those alone who make may
know, these masterpieces may be
668

fully understood, appreciated, and
enjoyed by any one without doing
the works of the creator.

But it is not so with the things
of the spirit. One must do the works
of Elijah if one would know his joy,
have part in his blessings, share his
glory, exercise his power and au-
thority, and do the things he did.
And surely the power to bring rain
to a famine-stricken land, to call
down fire from heaven, to cause the
starving widow's barrel of meal not
to waste, her cruse of oil not to fail,
to restore to life her dead son, to
declare the past and foretell the
future — surely these things are be-
yond compare; they may not be
valued, nor purchased, nor hired;
they are beyond price. Here the

works and the use are companions
that never part. Do Elijah's works
if you would use and enjoy his
powers.

So it comes that in affairs of the
spirit, the doing of the works and
the use of the resulting spiritual
power, are not only inseparable but
wholly individual. They axe not
to be bought as Elisha taught
Naaman and as Simon the Sorcerer
learned from the rebuke of Peter:
"Thy money perish with thee be-
cause thou hast thought that the
gift of God may be purchased with
money." Save for the atoning sac-
rifice of the Son and the doing of
certain initiatory rites for the dead
( and even these must be accepted
and adopted by the dead), nothing
can be vicariously done, in matters
of the spirit, by one for another.
Everyone must do his own work,
if he would have the power and
authority.

IV.

Individualism in spirituality is
fundamental to Christianity. Thus
Jesus, taking leave of His Apostles
and about to ascend into heaven,
said unto them: "Go ye into all the
world and preach the Gospel to
every creature; he that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, and
he that believeth not shall be

damned." Jesus had earlier said
to Nicodemus: "Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God."

The Lord has many times re-
peated these same injunctions and
principles to the Latter-day Church.
There can be no question but that
every ear must hear and be given
the choice of living or refusing the
Gospel.

To leave no doubt in the minds
of the Apostles who were with Him
in Palestine that He meant every
creature in the whole world, and
not merely among those who were
called His chosen people — Jesus
declared to them in the great dis-
course on the Mount of Olives;

And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall
be preached in all the world, for a wit-
ness unto all nations: and then shall the
end come. (Mart. 24:14.)

In this day the Lord has declared
the Gospel should be preached "at
all times and in all places," "among
all nations," in "all the world,"- —
"and for this cause, that men might
be partakers of the glories which
were to be revealed." Again He
declared, speaking to the Prophet
in relation to Sidney Rigdon and
Frederick G. Williams:

That thereby they may be perfected in
their ministry for the salvation of Zion,
and of the nations of Israel, and of the
Gentiles, as many as will believe.

That through your administration they
may receive the word, and through their
administration the word may go forth unto
the ends of the earth, unto the Gentiles
first, and then, behold, and lo, they shall
turn unto the Jews.

And then cometh the day when the
arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power
in convincing the nations, the heathen na-
tions, the house of Joseph, of the Gospel
of their salvation.

For it shall come to pass in that day,
that every man shall hear the fulness of
the Gospel in his own tongue, and in his
own language, through those who are
ordained unto this power, by the adminis-
tration of the Comforter, shed forth upon
them for the revelation of Jesus Christ.
{Doc and Cov. 90:8-11.)

The Lord reiterated these funda-
mentals time and again: the Gospel
is to be preached "unto Gentile and
unto Jew;" "the poor and the meek
shall hear the Gospel," and "those
who sit in darkness and in the re-
gion and shadow of death."

The part of the Church in all this
is clear and explicit:

For verily, the sound must go forth from
this place into all the world, and unto
the uttermost parts of the earth. (Doc. and
Cov., 58:64.)

And again:

Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one sent
down from on high, who is mighty and
powerful, whose going forth is unto the

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

ends of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto
men — Prepare ye the way of the Lord,
make His paths straight.

The keys of the kingdom of God are
committed unto man on the earth, and
from thence shall the Gospel roll forth
unto the ends of the earth, as the stone
which is cut out of the mountain without
hands shall roll forth, until it has filled
the whole earth.

Co the Lord has spoken. From His
words, these things clearly ap-
pear:

Every man, woman, and child,
in every country, Christian, Hebrew,
heathen, must hear the Gospel in
its fullness — the rich, the poor, the
meek, the haughty. The Lord has
expressly told us: "I am no respec-
ter of persons."

Thus every person shall make
his own mind what his life shall be.
None shall make it for him. Wheth-
er he will be satisfied with that part
of salvation which pertains to the
physical world, or whether he shall
go on and add to this the salvation
and exaltation of the spiritual uni-
verse, is for his own choice. And
perhaps there should be here re-
called the Lord's saying that in re-
ality "All spirit is matter, but it is
more fine or pure, and can only be
discerned by purer eyes, we cannot
see it, but when our bodies are
purified we shall see that it is all
matter."

For him who would throw off
also the inhibitions and limitations
of the flesh in matters affecting the
spirit, for him indeed who would
conquer the flesh for the blessings
of the spirit, there is a joy awaiting
which exceeds all power of descrip-
tion,-— because words are made to
describe the physical world, they
are wanting to express even the
highest pleasures and feelings of
mortality; when the lofty emotions
of the spirit are conceived, we must
content ourselves with the flashing,
tear-wet eye, the ennobled counte-
nance, the sobbing of joy, an exalta-
tion of mind and spirit which no pen
can write or tongue tell.

These two conquests — the throw-
ing off of the physical limitations
and inhibitions that control and hold
down our physical activities and the
rising above the limitations and in-
hibitions of the flesh in matters of
the spirit — are each within the ulti-
mate reach of everyone of God's
children who is willing to live the
Gospel and make the needed strug-
gle and sacrifice. Neither conquest
can be fully made in the flesh, but
the beginnings made in mortality
can be completed in immortality.
This is man's destiny. And the

Gospel plan through which he
reaches this end, is so plain and sim-
ple that "a wayfaring man, though
a fool, need not err therein."

VI.

TThe Church is the organization
which God has set up to help
men in their struggles against the
limitations and inhibitions of the
flesh as affecting the spirit and its
manifestations and development. It
is as nearly perfect as mortals per-
mit it to be; greater perfection will
come just as soon as men can un-
derstand and use it. The Lord has
never revealed His mind and will
beyond man's power of comprehen-
sion, and when man has shown his
confirmed unwillingness to follow
the plan and live the law revealed,

the Lord has taken each away and
given a less perfect plan and lower
law, as He did to Israel under
Moses.

In all times, the Lord's plan —
His Church — has provided for the
physical well-being of the people.
The divine plan calls for the perfect
body as well as the perfected spirit.
There is an intimate and not under-
stood— if indeed it be at all com-
prehensible by the human mind —
relationship between biological man
and spiritual man. Bodily well-be-
ing,— the feeding of the hungry, the
giving of health to the diseased
body, the curing of the maimed, the
halt, the blind, the deaf, the dumb,
the thrusting out of death itself and
re-enthroning life in the mortal body
— was a large part of Christ's work

on earth. He would not have done
this if, under His plan, the body
were to be ignored, or mistreated,
or debauched. The Church of
Christ, to carry out His purposes;
must have this twin purpose: The
protection and perfecting of the
body, the perfecting of the Spirit.
To bring this about in every indi-
vidual is the purpose of the Church.

Now the Lord has said that His
plan is that every creature on the
earth, that every nation, that every
people, — each and every one must
"hear the fullness of the Gospel in
his own tongue and in his own lan-
guage." So to carry this Gospel is
the mission and the destiny of the
Church. The responsibility for
initiating the plan, for setting up
the Church, and for presently di-
recting it has been given to us of
America. But it is not our Church:
it belongs to all God's children and
as much to one as to another. For
those to whom God has entrusted
the preaching of this Gospel and
the spreading of it through the
earth, there are no greater blessings
awaiting than await anyone who
holds the Priesthood and lives the
Gospel, whoever he may be and
wherever he lives; but upon us there
rests an all but crushing responsi-
bility that, not fully met, will bring
to us not only loss of blessing but
great condemnation as well.

So it is the mission of the Church
to see that "the Gospel rolls forth
unto the ends of the earth, as the
stone which is cut out of the moun-
tain without hands shall roll forth,
until it has filled the whole earth."

Where the Gospel goes, there
must go the Church also, until it fills
the earth.

So not America only, nor America
and Europe, but the whole earth is
the Lord's and all that in it are.
And His Church filling the earth
will bring to its peoples and to all
of them the peace, the joy, and the
fullness and richness of life which
the power of the evil and the base
now denies to them. Ultimately
"every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess that Jesus is the
Christ."

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE CHURCH FORTY

YEARS AGO—

AND NOW

1897

1936

252,000

(approximately) Number of Members

760,690

Number of Stakes

118

466

Number of Wards

1,001

Number of Missions

Number of Temples

1496

Number of full-time Missionaries

1940

669

PRESIDENT GRANT'S

FIRST "ERA" ARTICLE

EDITOR'S NOTE: — We here reprint the first signed article by
President Heber J. Grant to appear in "The Improvement Era."
It is found on pages 395 to 398 of Volume I — nearly forty years
ago, and is entitled "Recollections Awakened by the Late Semi-'
Centennial Celebration."

During the recent celebration of the Semi-Centennial
Anniversary of the entrance of the Pioneers into Salt
Lake Valley, very many thoughts crowded themselves
upon my mind, as I contrasted the difference between the
Salt Lake Valley of that day and the Salt Lake Valley of
today.

I was seated in one of the large show windows of the
main store building of Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Insti-
tution, as the Semi-Centennial procession moved down Main
Street, and I contrasted that immense structure in which I
was seated, with the one and two-story adobe dwellinghouse
which at one time stood upon that identical spot, and in
which residence I first saw the light of day. The house was
built by my father, who died when I was a babe of nine days,
and I lived there until I was a little over six years old, when
I moved with my mother to Second East Street, where I now
reside.

Having virtually seen Main Street change from a village
thoroughfare to a business avenue, I recalled the time when
Zion's Savings Bank, a splendid building of five stories, was
occupied by the home of the late Daniel H. Wells, and in
my mind's eye I saw the high rock wall which separated the
home of my childhood from that of "Squire Wells." Every-
body familiarly called him "Squire Wells" in those days.
Two more lovable or kinder men never lived than my child-
hood neighbors, President Daniel H. Wells on the north,
and Bishop Edward Hunter on the south. Another kind
friend was Joseph B. Elder, who' recently died in the Four-
teenth Ward. He had a little frame grocery store and cooper
shop which occupied the corner where now stands the Godbe-
Pitt drug store. Many and many an hour have I spent as
a child sitting in his store and chatting with him.

As I thought of the fine structure known as the "Hooper
& Eldredge Block," I recalled the familiar home of the late
Bishop Edward Hunter, which originally stood upon that
ground, and scores of incidents and sayings of his which
were amusing, interesting, and instructive came to my mind,
prominent among them being his oft-repeated counsel, "Pay
your tithing, brethren, and be blessed." Above all I recall
his wonderful kindness to me in childhood days. I thought
of the hundreds of times that I had crept through the pole
fence which divided his home from ours, to play with his
boys, and I also remember climbing very often the board
fence south of his barn, to romp and play with one of the
most beloved companions of my childhood, George Hooper,
son of the late Captain William H. Hooper, who was called
to his eternal rest in his youth. Where George's home then
stood, now stands the substantial "Hooper Block."

As I looked across the street at the "Constitution Build-
ing," I remembered the time when the "Old Constitution
Building" stood there, and as I gazed at the "Home Fire
Building," I remembered the old "Globe Bakery," and barber
shop adjoining, which occupied the site when I was but five
or six years old.
670

OLD SALT LAKE CITY SCENES. TOP: DEDICATION OF BRIGHAM
YOUNG MONUMENT, SOUTH TEMPLE AND MAIN STREET, 1897;
SECOND: THE OLD GLOBE BAKERY; THIRD: A PARADE OF THE
RETURNING SPANISH -AMERICAN WAR VETERANS; BOTTOM:
SCENES OF 1847 REENACTED IN 1897.

OLD SALT LAKE CITY SCENES. TOP: AN OLD MULE CAR AND
HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE AT SOUTH TEMPLE AND MAIN
STREETS; SECOND: AN EARLY PICTURE OF Z. C. M. I. J THIRD:
THE OLD CONSTITUTION BUILDING; FOURTH: LOOKING EAST
ON FIRST SOUTH TOWARD THE SALT LAKE THEATRE; BOTTOM:
BATHING AT BLACK ROCK IN 1S80.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

In looking up the street at the Pioneer Monument in stone
and bronze, I recalled many, many incidents in the life of
Brigham Young, and one of them of my childhood days I
will relate, as it illustrates what it is impossible to do in stone
and bronze, viz: the love which filled Brigham Young's heart
for his fellowmen.

"\TUrHEN I was about six years old, in the winter of 1 862, the

sleighing was very good and as I had no opportunity
of cutter-riding in those days, none of our family possessing
a sleigh or team, boy-like, I used quite frequently to- run into
the street, and "hang on behind" some of the outfits which
passed our home, and after riding a block or two would jump
off and run back.

On one of these occasions I got on the sleigh belonging
to President Brigham Young, and as all who were acquainted
with him know, he was very fond of a fine team, and was
given to driving quite rapidly. I therefore found myself
skimming along with such speed that I dared not jump off,
and after riding some time I became very cold. President
Young happening to notice me hanging on his sleigh im-
mediately called out: "Brother Isaac, stop!" He then had
his driver, Isaac Wilson, get out and pick me up and tuck
me snugly under the robes on the front seat. President
Young waited some time before saying anything to me, but
finally he asked, "Are you warm?" and when I answered
"Yes," he inquired my name and where I lived. He then
talked to me in the most kindly manner, told me how much
he had loved my father and what a good man he was, and
expressed the hope that I would be as good as my father.
Our conversation ended in his inviting me to come up to his
office some day and have a chat with him. This I very soon
afterwards did, and from the day of this childhood acquain-
tance with President Young, I ever found in calling at his
office or home, a most hearty welcome, and I learned not only
to respect and venerate him, but to love him with an affection
akin to that which I imagined I would have felt for my own
father had I been permitted to know and return a father's love.

In nothing did Brigham Young shine more than in his
love for children, and they repaid his love with love and
confidence in him. The people of the world, who knew him
not, with their prejudices against his system of religion, no
doubt think he was unworthy of respect, but those who, like
myself, have known and loved him since childhood, can tes-
tify of his goodness and of his love for his fellows, and to
be able to do this is of greater moment than to join in any
degree of praise that may be accorded him on the score of
his great achievements.

It would take too much space for me to relate all the feel-
ings and memories that crowded upon each other while sitting
in the Z. C. M. I. window looking upon the Semi-Centennial
procession as it passed down East Temple Street, carrying
with it the evidences of the peace, prosperity, progress, and
happiness of the present day; nor can I write all I thought
and felt as I contemplated the trials of the Pioneers as recol-
lections of them were awakened by the passing of one of their
"reproduced trains;" and the float of the "Sea Gulls," that
brought up the remembrance of the mighty deliverance from
starvation wrought out by these white-winged messengers of
God destroying the crickets, which otherwise would have
devoured the first crop of the Pioneers, and left them to perish
of hunger in the wilderness.

This article is already long enough, but I can not close
without saying that the grand celebration of Utah's Semi-
Centennial was worthy of Utah's Pioneers; an honor to
those who managed it; and on the other hand, the Utah
Pioneers were worthy of just such a magnificent celebration.

HEBER J. GRANT.

From our eminence of forty rungs
up the ladder of time since The

Improvement Era took the
vacated place of the old Contributor,
let us take a retrospective look at
some of the things that have been
happening in the meantime. It may
help us to answer the questions:
Where are we going? — and — How
fast are we getting there?

In many respects the past forty
years have been the most wonder-
ful in the history of mankind. Surely
the prophet Daniel glimpsed our
time when he saw in the last days
a people running to and fro under
the stimulus of a great increase of
knowledge. Greater scientific ad-
vances have been made during the
past half century than during all
the rest of recorded history. A
catalogue of the new mechanical ap-
pliances of this period is breath-
taking. So rapidly has this tremen-
dous release of inventive energy
propelled us into the machine age
that the social and spiritual progress
of the human family has apparently
failed to keep pace with technolog-
ical advance, and to some thinkers
has come the fear that the new ma-
chinery will turn out to be a Fran-
kenstein monster instead of a bless-
ing. Let us examine, first, a few of
the late outstanding inventions:

II.

"Dy 1897 the horseless carriage (the
first one had been built by El-
wood Haynes four years earlier )
had captured the imagination of the
public and was rapidly advancing
toward the factory stage of pro-
duction. Two years later at least
three hundred of these gasoline-
burning, horse-scaring contraptions
672

RTY YEAR
of CHAN

By GLYNN BENNION

Of the Church Historian's Office

Cince the "Era" first saw the light of day the world has

seen more changes than in many centuries before

some in the name of progress and some in the name of

LESS WORTHY THINGS. BUT MAN'S USE OF ALL IMPROVEMENTS
IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MATERIAL THINGS OF WHICH
PROGRESS IS MADE.

were upon the highways of the
United States, snorting along at
death-defying speeds of from eight
to twelve miles an hour. Each year
since that time has seen astonishing
improvement in the economy of pro-
duction, comfort, speed, and beauty
of the automobile, until today the
face of the land is covered with mil-
lions of them, scurrying, darting
back and forth like a great swarm
of frantic black beetles, crazily in-
tent on their foolish errands.

In forty years the automobile in-
dustry has grown from scratch to
the second largest business in the
country, involving billions of dol-
lars in wealth. Over twenty-eight
million motor cars are now in use
in the United States, and the whole-
sale value of new cars and acces-
sories produced and sold last year
was nearly four billion dollars.
With this rapid growth has come
a coincident expansion of the oil
business and an era of road building.
The continent is now banded with
paved highways that reach from
coast to coast, and the edges of

these are studded with service sta-
tions from whose nozzles this year
will be poured eighteen billion gal-
lons of gasoline — such a river of
gasoline as will presently empty our
great underground reservoirs of oil.
In automobiling the native Yankee
urge to get somewhere else fast has
found a glorious release, and we
have become a nation on wheels.
Descendants of pioneer "wagon
tramps" now follow the seasonal
cycle of work and climate in trailers,
and the perils and hazards seeming-
ly requisite to mortal life which once
were furnished by savages and wild
animals are now furnished by the
speed demon. A speeding motorist
can now cover more miles in twenty
minutes than his grandfather could
make in a day; but blood stains and
shattered glass mark the smooth,
straight highways, and annually in
the United States forty thousand
lives are fed into this modern,
streamlined Moloch.

MAIN STREET, SALT LAKE CITY, IN THE LATE
NINETEENTH CENTURY. (LOOKING NORTH FROM
SECOND SOUTH STREET.)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

III.

Tn 1897, a twenty-three year old
Italian, named Guglielmo Mar-
coni, who for several years had been
intrigued by the theory that an elec-
tric current when started in a given
direction follows a direct course
without the assistance of a con-
ductor, was busy perfecting an ap-
paratus for wireless telegraphy.
With a sensitive detector, capable
of picking up ever so faint etheric
vibrations, he was able in 1901 to
receive wireless messages at Signal
Hill, Newfoundland, originating at
Poldhu station in England. So suc-
cessful was he, in fact, that the
Anglo-American Cable Company,
fearing for their trade, compelled
him to leave Newfoundland!

These achievements in wireless
telegraphy greatly stimulated elec-
trical engineers experimenting in the
field of wireless telephony, and soon
a new race of geniuses sprang up
all over the country speaking of
"audions" and "oscillions" and other
words no layman can under-
stand, but very evidently meaning
what they said, for by 1915 they
were able to transmit speech without
the aid of wires from Arlington to
Paris, a distance of 3,600 miles. In
the wake of these achievements
mushroom factories sprang up every-
where making radio receiving sets
for individual use; a Federal com-
mission had to be added to the al-
ready overstuffed bureaus of Wash-
ington to regulate conflicting send-
ing stations, and now 25,000,000 sets
throughout the United States may

A SCENE BEFORE EAGLE GATE, 1S72.

make both day and night hideous
with the shrieks of dying gun
molls, the jittery beat of swing
bands, and the fiendish wailing of
anemic love songs which fatuous
advertisers hope will increase the
sales of coffee, cigarettes, and patent
cure-alls. And yet this thing called
radio, properly used, spreads tidings
of truth over the face of the earth
in the twinkling of an eye and brings
men together in the common bond
of the common heritage of the good
things of earth.

IV.

[otion pictures had a beginning
in Thomas A. Edison's ingeni-
ous idea of capitalizing on a defect
of the human eye called "persistence
of vision." He noted that an impres-
sion on the retina lingers for a fiftieth
part of a second after the scene
exciting the impression has been
removed. Accordingly, as early as
1879 he began experimenting with
a lantern he called the "kineto-
scope," an instrument by which
many separate pictures per second
were projected upon a screen, the
interval during the change of pic-
tures being so brief that to the eye
it appeared one continuous presen-
tation. The requirement of delicate
precision in this machine, now called
the cinematograph, was served by
the Lumiere brothers of Paris, who
in 1 895 effected several improve-
ments, and by 1911, with the addi-
tion of the multiple reel feature, the
contrivance was ready to promote
the vast new enterprise called the
motion picture business. Techni-
color and the synchronizing of voice

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with picture are the most recent
improvements added to motion pic-
tures, this new form of the drama
which has all but crowded the legiti-
mate theatre off the earth, and which
in the United States weekly attracts
a throng equal to two-thirds of the
entire population of the country.
No device ever invented has more
power for affecting the manners and
thought of the public than the
movies. There is reason, therefore,
for anxiety regarding the morals
and tastes of the public in the hands
of mercenary czars whose chief
study often is an analysis of the
human weakness for being hum-
bugged by cheap thrills.

Tn THE popular mind Edison is best
remembered for the incandescent
light, the phonograph, and the
cinematograph, but the Patent Office
shows that he was concerned with
hundreds of other inventions, in-
cluding the typewriter, the mimeo-
graph, electric dynamo, railway sig-
nal system, motion picture camera,
and photographic films, automobile
starter, process for making plate
glass, process for constructing con-
crete buildings, the electric lantern,
and synthetic rubber. His discovery
of most profound importance was
perhaps that of the flow of electrons
from hot filaments made during his
early experiments with lamps, for
from this observation has come the
electronic tube, which in its myriad
forms underlies radio broadcasting,
long-distance telephoning, sound
pictures, television, the electric eye,
the X-ray, and a host of other de-
vices. The United States Congress,
in striking a medal for him in 1928,
placed a value of nearly sixteen

673

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

*&$

billion dollars on his inventive con-
tributions to humanity.

VI.

"pVER since man first realized that
he was condemned to crawl on
the earth's crust for want of wings
he has watched with envy the glori-
ous flight of birds. And being really
a supernatural creature, as proved
by his rankling ambition to learn the
secrets of immortality, to move be-
yond the bounds of his environment,

and to extend his dominion every-
where, he has from the beginning
nursed the confidence that he would
some day learn how to fly. The
first thinkers of whom history gives
account seriously proposed methods
of aerial navigation. Archimedes,
the Greek mathematician who lived
several centuries before Christ, es-
tablished the principles of mechan-
ical flight which are now success-
fully applied. The Duke of Milan's
dazzling jack-of-all-trades, Leon-

ardo da Vinci, made designs of a
flap-wing affair, a helicopter, and a
glider in the fifteenth century. But
it was not until thirty-four years
ago that a human being was carried
from the ground in actual flight by
mechanical means. On December
17, 1903, amid the Kill Devil sand-
hills of North Carolina, Wilbur and
Orville Wright flew 852 feet in a
kite-like apparatus which they had
constructed after long study of all
the accumulated theories of flight.
This was the birth of the airplane.

Two years later these pioneer air-
men made a non-stop flight of
twenty-four miles, the airplane re-
maining aloft thirty-eight minutes.
In 1909, the Frenchman, Bleriot, flew
across the English Channel in
twenty- three minutes. In 1911,
Rogers crossed the United States in
an airplane in forty-nine days. In
1919, Alcock and Brown made the
first non-stop flight across the At-
lantic. In 1924, the U. S. Army
commenced the famous "Round the
World" flight in May which was
completed in August. During the
same year Lieutenant Russell
Maughan flew from New York to
San Francisco in twenty-one hours.
In 1927, Lindbergh flew from New
York to Paris, 3,600 miles, in thirty-
three hours. In 1933, Wiley Post
flew around the world in seven days.
In 1936, regular airmail service
across the Pacific was inaugurated,
and airlines within the United States
carried 1,140,000 passengers.

No generation has been privileged
to see so heroic a spectacle as we
have seen enacted in the clouds by
our pioneer pilots, most of whom
fell to their deaths to advance the
science of flying. What a horrible
thought that all this inventive energy
and sacrifice of gallant young lives
may be misused to provide war lords

MAIN STREET, SALT LAKE CITY, 1936-37.
(LOOKING SOUTH FROM NEAR COLLEGE
AVENUE.)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

:■■- :...... ..-.. ■ .■:.:.. . P.$£8Z$ :.". ...'..: ■:..': ;'■■ .■.'.::: ': :■.:■ 5? . ■■■■ y y-iy-.^i

the raging seas that pounded their
bobbing crafts, they did so much
preaching and praying on those long
voyages that more than one crew,
captain and all, were converted and
came on with the Saints to Zion.

IX.

A MULE DRAWN CAR FAMILIAR TO SALT LAKE
CITY STREETS UNTIL LATE IN THE LAST CEN-
TURY.

with the means to rain bombs on
non-combatants!

VII.

"\7ast wealth invested in railroad
equipment must be scrapped
whenever new ideas are put into
effect, but nevertheless the railroads
have been increasing speed, reducing
weight of carriers, and otherwise
effecting economies in freight and
passenger haulage. Tariffs have
been generally lowered; new steam-
line passenger trains have been
built which in some cases weigh less
than one old Pullman car; Diesel-
electric and steam-electric power
units have been tried in place of
ponderous, old-style locomotives,
and speeds of ninety to one hundred
ten miles an hour have been achiev-
ed. In passenger cars many new
refinements of comfort have been
installed, including air-conditioning.

VIII.

Cince the building of Dominie
Peter's "Great Ship of three
hundred tons burthen," which was
launched at Salem, Massachusetts,
in 1641, there has continued a dra-
matic ship-building race between the
rival maritime nations, with more or
less constant progress in the size and
speed of vessels. But it was not
until the era of steel, commencing
in the nineties that really big ships
could be built which could with-
stand the crushing blows of the
great storm waves against their sides
and would not break in two when
poised athwart the crest of a "big
one" or lying across the trough be-
tween two waves. The record for
fast-sailing packets between New
York and Liverpool was twenty-one

days. In 1 856, the Persia, a steam-
ship, made the crossing from New
York to Queenstown in nine days.
In 1 909, the Lusitania made the same
crossing in four days, eleven hours,
forty-two minutes. In 1935 the iVor-
mandie, 1029 feet long, 79,280 tons,
crossed from New York to Land's
End, 200 miles beyond Queenstown,
in four days, three hours.

The modern ocean liner is really
a small floating city, the last word
in safe, speedy, luxurious travel.
What a contrast between such ma-
jestic ships and the little old "tubs"
of three-hundred-passenger capac-
ity which carried many of the
founders of Mormon families from
Liverpool to New Orleans in from
six weeks to two months! Each
family carried its own bedding, food,
and fuel for the journey, and took
turns doing its own cooking. What
with zeal for the Gospel and fear of

Tn the realm of building activity
and architecture the outstanding
feature of the past forty years has
been the introduction of structural
steel, which made possible the era
of skyscrapers. There seems to be
no limit to the height of these build-
ings, for every decade has seen them
going higher and higher. The
latest of these great ones is the
Empire State Building of New York,
twelve hundred feet high, the tallest
building on earth. The modern
trend in American building is in the
direction of exterior simplicity of
line and form and inner utility and
comfort. This is particularly true
in the building of nouses, in which
a decided revolt is noted against the
jig-saw horrors of the nineteenth
century and a return to the simple,
unostentatious beauty of both Eng-
lish and Spanish colonial designs.
With scientific attention to economy
of space, economy of housekeeping,
indoor plumbing, mechanical re-
frigeration, furnace heat or air-con-
ditioning, these modern houses are
very satisfactory places' to live in.

This return to colonial design is
significant. American colonists in-
cluded many fine Old- World ar-
tisans who loved beauty and sought
to plant it in the new land. But be-
(Concluded on page 726)

RAIL TRANSPORTATION DELUXE, 1937.

The OUTLAW
of NAVAJO
MOUNTAIN

cJke Story of [Posey, JLast
[Pah- Lite (Outlaw

By ALBERT R. LYMAN

ONE OF OLD POSEY'S RARE
AND LATER PICTURES.

THE STORY THUS FAR: Down in the wild and lawless
region of Fourcorners, where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico,
and Colorado come together, more than half a century ago Kit
Carson rounded up the Navajos and drove them into Santa Fe,
New Mexico, to keep them there in the "bullpen" for three years.
While the Navajos were being thus harshly disciplined, a dis-
affected handful of Pah-Utes broke away from their tribe north
of the San Juan River and took possession of Navajo Mountain
in Navajo territory. When the Navajos came back, these Pah-
lite renegades refused to vacate the Navajo country and bad
blood resulted. Sowagerie (Posey) the central character of this
story was a child of one of the Pah-Ute renegades. He grew up
in a cradle of anarchy. Bitseel, a son of the ousted Navajo, was
Posey's most bitter enemy. In the midst of this tense situation in
1879, a colony of Mormons was sent down to settle the San Juan
country, largely for the purpose of improving relationships with
the Indians. Thales Haskel was their chief interpreter — a man
skilled in Indian dialect and psychology. But the Navajos and
Pah-Utes continued to prey upon each other and upon the Mormon
settlement. During one skirmish when cowboy avengers scattered
the tribe, the renegade son, Sowagerie, was momentarily sep-
arated from the tribe with Toorah, little sister of Poke, the Pah-
Ute leader. This brief interlude marked the beginning of a
smoldering romance that caused Sowagerie bravely to change his
name to Posey and vainly dress himself in fine clothes, braid his
hair, and put on war paint. This interest in his little sister,
however, was relentlessly disapproved by Poke, who looked upon
the "apostate" Posey as "Skunk," and so referred to him. During
one period of tribal disorganization, Toorah, Posey's beloved,
disappeared with her brothers, and all Posey's searchings for her
were in vain. Posey finally secured vague information concerning
Toorah's whereabouts, and these two lovers madly dashed to
freedom. Their new found freedom together was soun interrupted,
however, when Poke accidentally stumbled upon their hiding place.
But he was in trouble and his ugly threatening gave way to surly
compromise. Posey now entered upon the most recklessly happy
part of his life. But shortly later, in an act of playfulness, occurred
the greatest tragedy of Posey's life — the shooting of his beloved
wife by his own hand. His unbounded sorrow was made more
terrible by the avenging pursuit of Toorah's brother, Poke. But
the two met under circumstances which enabled Posey to save
Poke's life, wherefore Posey was relieved of further vengeance
on that score by agreeing to pay a high indemnity and by agreeing
to marry another of Poke's sisters — a disagreeable superannuated
maiden — which circumstance began another career of heckling
evil. Later a handful of Mormon settlers from Bluff captured
Posey in a humiliating manner, put him in irons and brought him
before a justice of the peace, where he was bound over to appear
at the next session of the district court. By a ruse Posey later
escaped and went into exile at Navajo Mountain. He was shaken
by his first personal experience with white man's justice and sent
word to the inhabitants of Bluff, asking their forgiveness and
pledging to mend his ways. The charges were withdrawn and
Posey returned to the community on temporary good behavior.
But as the terror of his exile began to fade, the humiliation of it
loomed greater in his mind, and he took steps to see that it would
not happen again by going to Colorado to purchase a long range

676

gun, and by learning how the recently installed telephones could
be used and how communities could be separated by cutting wires.
Thus prepared, he returned to his old ways with a vengeance.
In the midst of this situation Poke's son, Tse-ne-gat, was accused
of robbing and killing a sheepherder. Peace officers came to
arrest him. In the skirmish that followed, both Pah-Utes and
whites were killed. Posey had treacherously used a flag of truce
to protect himself while he gained shooting position. General
Hugh L. Scott was sent out from Washington to represent the
government in this tragedy. Poke, Posey, Tse-ne-gat, and Jess
Posey were taken to Denver for trial. Royally treated and ex-
onerated, they were released by the government and sent home.
This generous treatment they interpreted as an act of weakness,
and began to plan further misdeeds. With an increasing belief
in his own immunity from all punishment, Posey acquired another
long range gun, traveled a long distance to purchase a horse that
was superior to anything in the San Juan region, and in other
ways prepared for the inevitable conflict that was destined to
come. His preparations, however, were interrupted by another
gambling affray with Bitseel in which Posey's prize horse was
involved and from which he extricated himself by striking Bitseel
with the butt of a revolver and dashing for freedom — thus post-
poning another final meeting. The October installment describes
Posey's activities in organizing and firing to violence the hoodlum
element of the tribe — an element, which having been inspired to
violence proved embarrassingly difficult even for Posey to control.
Finally Pahneab, a young leader of the hoodlum element, was
arrested with Dutchie's boy and brought to trial for holding up a
sheepherder at gun's point. Posey entered the schoolhottse court-
room and during the noon recess aided the defendants to break
for liberty, with Sheriff Oliver in full pursuit.

Chapter XIX — The Big Stir

.he big stir was on! It had come as the
sharp crack of a whip, and it found most of the Pah-
Utes lounging around the stores or killing time at other
places in town. Many of them knew nothing even
yet of what had happened.

When Posey and Dutchie-toats (Dutchie's boy)
ran panting into camp, everything was in an uproar
at once. Pahneab had dashed by on the black mare
and was bringing the horses from the sagebrush flat
beyond. They must be gone! No time to lose. Posey
dared now to give imperious orders. But most of their
people loafed stupidly somewhere in town. Parts of
families there at the wickiups fumed and cried for
children or wives or fathers or brothers still in Bland-
ing. Oliver had turned back from the edge of the
trees, but he would get help and be after them.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

Then some of their people arrived
breathless from town, — wild, ter-
rified. They reported that every
white man in Blanding was running
for his gun — getting horses to ride
— any horses in sight, the very first
they could find.

Pahneab came pell-mell with the
ponies from the flat, and everybody
in camp ran to get his rope on his
animals to pack up and be gone.
Teegre sprang to the back of his
buckskin and raced away to the east
rim of West Water at the edge of
town where he called in long and
penetrating tones to his people,
" Whoo-eeh-eeh! Tos-pon pikey!
Tooish apane!" His magnificent
voice carried far through the cool
spring air, but his people in town,
though they heard, had been hur-
riedly rounded up by determined
men who ordered them not to move
a foot.

As Teegre returned on the keen
jump, Joe Bishop, heavy, perspir-
ing, and panting from undue haste
came dragging up from West Wa-
ter. He said he was the last man
to escape the roundup and get out
of town; fifty or more of their peo-
ple were prisoners — men standing
over them with guns. No use to
wait longer for them.

Impotent haste and frightened
confusion reigned in camp. They
cinched saddles on squirming, pro-
testing cayuses; they piled beds and
provisions and supplies on the sad-
dles in bunglesome heaps. They
urged their motley flocks of goats
up from the groves of oak in the
canyon, expecting every minute to
be attacked by the men from the
town.

They must be off. "Tooish
apane! Tooish apane!" commanded
the general impatiently.

But how could they start on The
Old Trail with nearly half their
people held as prisoners in town to
become possible hostages pending
the outcome of the trouble? No dif-
ference— they must go. Posey
would come back in the night and
get the prisoners — it was a prom-
ise— "Tooish apane!"

They mounted in a panic of sus-
pense and headed wildly for the
nearest cover of thick treses and
rocks to the south. Joe Bishop, puf-
fing and palpitating with his fat and
trying to get his saddle on his fidg-
ety pony, was left behind. He
hadn't got the blamed thing in place
when Bill Oliver and half a dozen
armed men rode into camp.

"Where's your boy?" demanded
the sheriff.

"I show you." Old Joe panted,

JESS POSEY, SON OF OLD POSEY

getting his ponderous weight in the
saddle, and starting on the reeking
trail of the goats and the ponies,
the white men at his heels.

Pahneab's father had no intention
of giving his son away. He figured
that once among the thick trees he
could dodge out of sight, and hur-
rying forward to his people he
could tell them who and how many
were in pursuit. But when he dodg-
ed, Dave Black dodged after him,
and Dave had to jab him fiercely in
the ribs with the muzzle of his gun
to convince him the only way to save
his life was to go back with Black
to the roundup in town.

Three miles down West Water
Point, Posey and his fugitives stop-
ped behind a barrier of big rocks
to consider. Which way should
they go, and at what point should
they enter The Big Trail? The Big
Trail was to the west, and the gen-
eral wanted to turn that way at
once. He was met again by the
popular howl about the people held
as prisoners in town. The best
fighters of the tribe were there,
Scotty among them. And they
should by all means have Poke to
be their leader.

Poke for their leader! The idea!
After all Posey had done! His blood
boiled.

And the inevitable second wife
was with the popular majority, mak-
ing a veiled threat of what her broth-
er would do if he were left out. Also,
a-plenty would happen to them if
they went without him, even if he
did nothing. They lacked little of
open mutiny right there and then.

jl osey knew they must
go on in spite of everything; they
must go even if he had to yield a
point; and he did yield a very dear
point, almost amounting to the ab-
dication of his imperial ambition. He
sent a messenger telling Poke to
meet them, and then instead of get-
ting off to the west nearer the Old
Trail, they had to turn east to meet
the old bear at Recapture.

Posey wanted very much to have
Poke with them, but not to super-
sede him. He knew that one grunt
from the old grizzly was worth more
than forty fighting men, but Posey
had a more cherished reason than
that for wanting the old cavalier in
the ranks of the big stir.

Poke, more than any other man
in the tribe had been the author of
all the big fights hitherto, and Po-
sey had got a place in them only
by inviting himself, and then he had
to march in the mean tail of the pa-
rade. Now, as the prime mover of
this big event, he had a great am-
bition to invite the old bear to oc-
cupy a place in the ranks behind
him.

Yet, after this mutinous display,
with half his people under arrest,
and the second wife carrying on as
terribly as a hen with one chicken,
he would be delighted to have the
old grizzly take the whole infernal
mess off his hands. As the brains of
three riproaring wars, and with at
least seven dead men to his credit,
Poke could paw this mutinous herd
into line and compel every man to
do his ragged best.

The messenger left at once for
Yellow Jacket, leaning forward on
his speeding horse, and the outfit
pushed on towards Recapture. Late
in the afternoon they stopped to
take a much needed lunch at the
old cabin on Murphy Point.

In ten minutes Sheriff" Oliver and
his little posse appeared at the field
gate to the north of them. The posse
was rather too far away for a shot,
but Posey plowed up the dust in
front of them as a gentle hint to
wait a little while. The Pah-Utes
behind the cabin rushed their re-
{Continued on page 714)

677

THE FOUR PRESIDENTS OF THE CHURCH UNDER
WHOSE ADMINISTRATIONS "THE IMPROVEMENT
ERA" HAS CONTINUED ITS CHURCH-WIDE
MISSION; LEFT TO RIGHT: WILFORD WOOD-
RUFF, LORENZO SNOW, JOSEPH F. SMITH, AND
HEBER J. GRANT.

YEARS of
SERVICE

When this number of The Im-
provement Era reaches the
hands of its readers in all
parts of the world, the magazine will
be successfully launched upon its
forty-first year of service, for No-
vember is the birthday month of the
publication which, for forty years,
has been near and dear to hundreds
of thousands of Latter-day Saints
in all the world.

Though the magazine has been
a constant, steady, hopeful, cour-
ageous, and inspiring voice in a
changing and often muddled and
darkened world, if Professor Pit-
kin's famous statement, "Life be-
gins at forty," is true, then this
number launches the magazine upon
a career that will far transcend that
of the past forty years, glorious as
that has been.

From a tiny infant without ances-
tors, unless the old Contributor
could be called an ancestor, born

By HARRISO R.MERRILL

Director, Extension Division, B. Y. U„ Member
of the General Board of the Y. M. M. I. A.,
and Former Managing Editor of "The Im-
provement Era."

Ctarted without capital at a time when the
Church was in deep financial despair, "The
Improvement Era" has served a growing world-wide organ-
ization DURING THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF FOUR PRESIDENTS

of the Church.

Through four stormy decades the "Era has

SOUNDED A SAFE COURSE.

during the Pioneer Jubilee year, the
magazine has grown to be a fully
developed, mature, dignified, and
much-loved adult in the prime of life
and service. Nurtured and loved
and watched over by some of the
best and ablest leaders of the
Church, it has become an influential
organ with an important message
for all the world, and due to con-
tinued effort of those who have had
its destinies in charge, it is taking
that message to all the world. There

is scarcely a nation or a people or
an island of the sea that is not vis-
ited by this bearer of truth and good
tidings.

It is of more than passing inter-
est, really of great significance, that
there is one man who has been
closely identified with the magazine

PAST EDITORS AND ASSOCIATE EDITORS OF
"THE IMPROVEMENT ERA," LEFT TO RIGHT:
JOSEPH F. SMITH, B. H. ROBERTS, EDWARD H.
ANDERSON, HUGH J. CANNON, ELSIE TALMAGE
BRANDLEY, HARRISON R. MERRILL.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

PAST BUSINESS MANAGERS AND ASSISTANTS:
HEBER J. GRANT, THOMAS HULL, ALPHA J.
HIGGS, MORONI SNOW, MELVIN J. BALLARD,
0. B. PETERSON.

since the beginning. It was largely
owing to his force and drive that
the Era was born at all and that it
has continued to grow in the face
of many difficulties. That man is
President Heber J. Grant, first busi-
ness manager and present senior
editor.

Forty years ago when the maga-
zine was without funds and when
there were no funds to be had from
the Church, which was then in dire
financial distress, President Grant
was made business manager. His
zeal carried him into all parts of the
Church and there he preached Im-
provement Era. Thousands have
heard him tell, in a semi-serious and
semi-humorous manner, many of the
experiences which were his during
those early years of desperate strug-
gle for existence.

The magazine has lived during
the administrations of four presi-

M. I. A. HEADS UNDER WHOSE ADMINISTRA-
TIONS THE "ERA" HAS BEEN PUBLISHED.
LEFT TO RIGHT, FIRST ROW: W1LF0RD WOOD-
RUFF, LORENZO SNOW, JOSEPH F. SMITH,
ANTHONY W. IVINS; SECOND ROW: GEORGE
ALBERT SMITH, RUTH MAY FOX (Y. W. M. I. A.),
ALBERT E. BOWEN, AND GEORGE Q. MORRIS.

dents of the Church. Begun in 1897,
when President Wilford Woodruff
was Trustee-in-Trust, it has contin-
ued through the administrations of
Presidents Lorenzo Snow and Jo-
seph F. Smith, and for nearly
nineteen years during the adminis-
tration of President Heber J. Grant.
During all of that time, President
Grant has been either business man-
ager or editor of the magazine, which
is as dear to him as a living person-
ality.

He held the position of manager
until the death of President Joseph
F. Smith, when he was made editor-
in-chief with Edward H. Anderson
as assistant and with Melvin J. Bal-
lard as business manager. And the
editor's chair he still dignifies.

The history of The Improvement
Era is a story of faith and works
united in a most efficient manner.
The Contributor, a magazine which
had been in circulation among the
Saints for seventeen years, was dis-
continued in the fall of 1896, for
lack of support, leaving the Church
with no magazine through which the
young men could be effectively
reached. This loss was soon keenly
felt. President Grant writes:

Twice in my life I prayed to the Lord to

be appointed to a position. The first time
was when there was a disorganization of
the general superintendency of the Mutual
Improvement Associations because of the
failure of one of the men in that superin-
tendency to retain his standing in one of the

tut

IMPROVEMENT

ERA.

\\ . %

?*u »hv4 *9*th<«

■^::.:i^:.-.*?»«Uftitt.'

A MINIATURE COVER
VOLUME I, NUMBER I.

REPRODUCTION OF

high positions in the Church. I got down
on my knees and I asked the Lord to call me
to be one of the superintendency of the
Young Men's Mutual Improvement Asso-
ciation. The Contributor was a very splen-
did magazine, one of the very finest mag-
azines the Church has published. ... It
had died a natural death because of the lack
of support on the part of the people. We
had no magazine, and there were no meet-
ings of the general board, except that they
met once in about every six months. I
realized that they ought to meet every week,
that they should come together and con-
verse and work out programs. I prayed
to the Lord that I might be chosen as one
of the general superintendency. The very
next day when I was in the president's
office, President Joseph F. Smith said to
President Woodruff who was then also
General Superintendent of the Y. M. M. I.
A.: "Brother Woodruff, I believe you
ought to have two other counselors in the
superintendency of the Young Men's Mu-
tual. I suggest that Brother Grant here
and Brother B. H. Roberts be counselors as
well as myself." . . . We immediately call-
ed a meeting and we considered the proposi-
tion of starting The Improvement Era. . . .

At that time, the Church was in
debt and without credit, and almost

679

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

THE PRESENT "ERA" EDITORIAL STAFF, LEFT
TO RIGHT: HEBER J. GRANT AND JOHN A.
WIDTSOE, EDITORS; RICHARD L. EVANS, WAN-
AGING EDITOR; MARBA C. JOSEPHSON, ASSO-
CIATE EDITOR.

at its lowest ebb financially. No
funds were available for such a
project, the committee was inform-
ed by the office of the Trustee-in-
Trust. However, plans were formu-
lated in the late summer of 1 897 for
launching a magazine. Said Presi-
dent Roberts in an account he wrote
of the matter, twenty-eight years
later:

The strong assertion that those who sup-
posed that we had no capital with which
to begin the publication of the organ for
the Young Men's Mutual Improvement
Association were entirely mistaken. Our
capital was the interest of the young men
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints in the Mutual cause; and that had

nounced as Joseph F. Smith and B. H,
Roberts.

At that early time, before a single
magazine was printed, the sub-
scription price was set at two dol-
lars a year. Several members of
the General Board at that time were
also members of the Council of the
Twelve and the First Council of
the Seventy; they took the mat-
ter up in quarterly conferences
which they attended and in other
ways assisted the campaign. Though

FIRST HOME OF THE
"ERA", TEMPLETON
BUILDING, SOUTH
TEMPLE AND MAIN
STREETS, SALT LAKE
CITY.

only to be appealed to and drawn upon
in order to be sufficient and permanent in
the maintenance of the Young Men's or-
gan. It was urged with complete confi-
dence that if our case were fittingly pre-
sented to the young men of the Church,
and our determination to publish such an
organ was strong enough, that we could
supply the capital by asking our young
men for a one year's subscription to the
magazine, strictly in advance, and before
any numbers were printed at all. . . .

That was rather a unique plan for rais-
ing capital, and many were the predictions
of failure should we attempt to execute it!
But the committee in charge were then
young men, and represented at that time
the spirit of faith and confidence in things
undertaken, characteristic of the young
men of the Church; and so the plan, with
some misgiving, was assented to, and a
campaign for raising the capital was
planned,

680

ANOTHER HOME OF THE
"ERA", OLD PRESIDENT'S OF-
FICE BETWEEN THE LION
HOUSE AND THE BEE-HIVE
HOUSE. (THE "ERA" WAS
ALSO HOUSED FOR SEVERAL
YEARS IN THE PRESIDING
BISHOP'S BUILDING.)

The general outline of that plan, as I
recall it, was first of all to adopt a name,
have the management and editorial staff
appointed, and then send out campaigning
companies into all the territory occupied
by the Church organizations to solicit sub-
scriptions. The business management was
placed in the capable and enthusiastic hands
of Heber J. Grant, as manager, with Thom-
as Hull, assistant, and the editors were an-

President Roberts could not remem-
ber the number or the personnel of
all the campaigning companies, he
has left us a delightful paragraph
or two telling of the activities of his
own company. He says:

The company of canvassers with which
the writer was associated was assigned a
group of counties in northern Utah and
southern Idaho, and their tour occupied
something more than a month or six weeks
and was somewhat typical of other groups
who went upon the same mission.

Our territory consisted of the Afton

BUSINESS STAFF OF THE PRESENT ERA. LEFT
TO RIGHT: GEORGE Q. MORRIS, GENERAL MAN-
AGER, CLARISSA A. BEESLEY, ASSOCIATE
MANAGER, JOHN K. 0RT0N, BUSINESS MAN-
AGER.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

in which Hull and myself sometimes swell-
ed the chorus, seemed to be taken as cur-
rency for the large draughts of buttermilk
and lunches our company consumed.

Everywhere our public meetings were
well attended, subscriptions for the forth-
coming magazine rolled up on every hand.
In other parts of the Church territory, as
well as in ours, the young men of Israel
everywhere responded to this appeal, and
became the capital, the only capital with
which the magazine started.

But despite this loyal and ready

Y. M. M. I. A. COMMITTEE WHO PLANNED THE
PRESENT ENLARGED "ERA". LEFT TO RIGHT:
GEORGE Q. MORRIS, CHAIRMAN; JOHN D.
GILES, STRING AM A. STEVENS.

Stake, in Wyoming, Bear Lake and Oneida
Stakes, Idaho, and Cache Stake, Utah.

The personnel of our party consisted of
the late Robert Easton, and his wife Jean-
ette Young Easton, Thomas Hull and his
wife Margaret Hull, Douglas M. Todd,
Viola Pratt Gillett and her mother, Mrs.

RIGHT: ANOTHER OF
THE HOMES OF "THE
IMPROVEMENT ERA," 47
EAST SO. TEMPLE, SALT
LAKE CITY.
Photo by D. F. Davis.

LEFT: PRESENT HOME OF
"THE IMPROVEMENT ERA,"
50 NORTH MAIN STREET,
SALT LAKE CITY.
Photo by Homer Wakefield.

Milando Pratt, Walter S. Lamoreaux, and
myself. Those who are acquainted with
the personnel of this company will at once
surmise that it was strong for its singing
talent, especially in the personages of "Bob"
Easton, Viola Pratt Gillett, Mrs. Margaret
Hull, and Mr. Lamoreaux. They were to
give concerts and the rest of us were to
represent the prose proposition of raising
the .Era's capital. . . .

Easton and his associate singers were

at their best. Something in the outdoor
life, and meeting in the homes, seemed to
give a touch of romance to our undertak-
ing. Everyone was cheerful, and we often
went serenading people in their homes in
out-of-the-way places. There "Bob" Eas-
ton, in Scotch songs, and Viola Pratt Gil-
lett, in sentimental ones, with solos by
Sister Hull, and duets and trios thrown in
for good measure, in which Lamoreaux
joined, together with choruses and hymns

response, the financing and business
management of The Improvement
Era continued to be a burdensome
task, and President Grant began a
campaign of solicitation by personal
letter for subscribers and donors. In
this activity he used his energies
and his private means, and the en-
ergies of his family. His home, then
on Second East Street in Salt Lake
City, was ofttimes converted into a
veritable mailing room, with the
President's children folding and
sealing while he signed thousands
of letters.

(Continued on page 720)

Its arrival in far-distant lands is eagerly watched
for.

It is clean, it is wholesome, it is refreshing, and
a delight to its thousands of subscribers.

The First Council of The Seventy,

By Rufus K. Hardy.

T'he Improvement Era is to be congratulated,
after forty years, on its fine appearance. In-
deed, it is so bright and attractive that one is
tempted, no matter how busy he may be, to pause
and investigate. Opening the magazine and turn-
ing to the title page his eye would immediately
catch this extraordinary line: "The Glory of God
Is Intelligence."

And glancing over the . . . contents and . . .
finding them to be of the very highest character he
would be led to exclaim, "Now I know why The
Improvement Era is so widely read and so popular
throughout the Church, and even beyond its
borders."

The investigator would not be long in discover-
ing that the editorials written by President Heber
J. Grant and John A. Widtsoe, Editors; Richard
L. Evans, Managing Editor, and Marba C. Jo-
sephson, Associate Editor, add interest and
strength to this important magazine. The ultimate
success of a publication depends in part upon the
general management. In the management of the
Era the investigator would recognize the splendid
work being done by George Q. Morris, General
Manager; Clarissa A. Beesley, Associate Man-
ager, and J. K. Orton, Business Manager.

May signal success attend the coming forth
each month of The Improvement Era, is the ardent
wish of

The Council of the Twelve.

By Rudger Claw son, President.

- — • —

\X/e desire to congratulate the Era upon its forty
years of successful achievement.

A thing well born is well on its way to success.

Its impetus has never diminished since its found-
er and business manager, President Heber J.
Grant, and its first editor, President Joseph F.
Smith, launched it forth on its errand of home
educational enlightenment and its missionary
career.

Being in touch with the missionary activities
of the Church, we can truthfully say that the Era
is and has been a messenger of joy, peace, and
comfort to the missionaries in the field and the
disseminator of the Latter-day Gospel truths to
many not yet of our faith.

HTwo score years of splendid service in the presen-
tation of interesting and instructive subjects,
beginning with the jubilee year of this Common-
wealth, justifies most cordial felicitations to this
important magazine and to all who have con-
tributed to its success.

We honor especially an outstanding character — -
the first Business Manager and present Editor-
in-Chief and President of the Church, Heber J.
Grant.

His courage and persistence, his generosity and
enthusiasm have been large factors in carrying
forward this publication in the trying days of its
early existence.

May this magazine continue its outstanding
career!

The Presiding Bishopric,

By Sylvester Q. Cannon.

•

It gives the Relief Society great pleasure to ex-
tend congratulations to The Improvement Era on
the fortieth anniversary of its founding. It is
impossible to estimate the power for good it has
been among the people; a source of enlightenment

and of entertainment.

* * *

At this interesting period, may the thought be
expressed, that the sympathetic understanding of
the needs of the hour, the vision, courage and faith
of the past, continue to direct its course for the
next forty years.

General Board of Relief Society,

By Louise Y. Robison.

TThe Deseret Sunday School Union in its 89th
year, applauds The Improvement Era for its
40 illustrious years of building faith and fervor
into the characters of Latter-day Saints. It is a
glorious record for your magazine. So long as such
excellence marks your performance, we shall be
cheering for you.

Cordially yours,
Geo. D. Pyper,
Milton Bennion,
Geo. R. Hill, Jr.
General Superintendency.

•

A magazine is successful in proportion to the
friends it makes. The Improvement Era numbers
its friends in the thousands because of its inspiring,
enlightening, and helpful messages. The Primary
Association is happy to be numbered among its
admiring friends and takes pleasure in extending
congratulations and abundant good wishes for its
continued success.

The General Board of the

Primary Association.

TWO
BROTHERS

un and mud. Mud and
rain. Sorrow and dread and futility.
Men with courage and men with
fear. So this was the front!

My sensations on going over the
top? At first I thought of home.
Pastel skies, cool mountains, green
fields. Then — into a hell of rico-
cheting lead! A symphony of death!
The battlefield was a tumbled chaos
of broken bodies. Dismembered
souls drifted in the cannon smoke.
Chatter. . . chatter ... an unending
rhythm — was that machine guns or
my teeth chattering? Some of the
boys ran ahead of me. The mowing
got them — over like wheat they went
— sliced off — -quick — easy. My feet
snagged on bodies. I kept on going.
No telling — I might be next.

What an experience! My mind
said that several times, I remember.
But my body was numb, drenched,
cold. And the senselessness of it
all pounded at me.

A man fell in my way. Did it hurt
much? I wondered. His eyes closed
so quietly.

All around the air surcharged
with death — with transient life. Hate
crescendoing in song — bursting
in screeching splendor. Shells —
screaming — spiraling! Flash! Flame!
Eternity swooping upon me with a
thousand stars!

That smothering sense of death
was hushing my throat. I fought. I
wouldn't die! But I was so tired. I
almost wanted to die.

I was drifting. Rising and sink-
ing— just as someone is said to feel
with a shot of morphine.

Here's what happened. You can
make what you will of it.

I know. I know I passed into that
mysterious half-realm between life
and death. There perception is
keener— there we see the ordinar-
ily unseen — we hear the ordinarily
unheard! There we are sensitized
to vibrations on a higher plane than
those of earth. Delirious? Oh, no!
My mind was clearer than crystal!

I could feel someone standing
there. Finally I opened my eyes. I
could see someone in white and
someone garbed in black. Out of
the haze two faces were material-
izing. The mists cleared. One was
radiant . . . light. The other dark
. . . haunted, I knew them some-

A SHORT SHORT
STORY OF THE
ETERNAL CONFLICT

HELEN TENNA TYREE

how. Where had I seen them be-
fore? I kept trying to remember.

They say I was shell-shocked.
But I tell you I saw through space
and time!

Those two surely resembled one
another, I thought. They looked
like brothers — but separated by dif-
ferent worlds! Suddenly they be-
came aware of one another. They
did not speak. The one in white
stretched out his hand. But the
dark one stood sullen. He didn't
appear to notice the outstretched
hand. A fleeting look of pain came
over the dark face and then a sneer.

They were like people who have
been separated for a long time and
find words painful. They just stood
and looked at each other. It got on
my nerves, the way they kept stand-
ing there. Silent. Death-like. The
dark one kept on trying to sneer,
but there was a heart-broken look
about him — like someone forever
doomed — someone forever lost ...
lost in a world of nameless shad-
ows and horror! I felt sorry for
him. He turned to go.

The other stopped him.

"So — we meet again, my broth-
er!" There was the gentleness of
prayer in that voice. "It's been a
long time."

Still the dark one didn't answer.

"My brother!" the shining one
had said — and into the sweet stern-
ness of his face came deep sorrow.

My brother! My brother! How
those words sobbed themselves into
my heart and chanted in my soul!
And then I remembered who they
were. Spiritual memories stirred in
me.

. . . Existence was new. The uni-
verse was young. I heard again a
crucified voice breaking in anguish.
Again I heard a father's tortured
words ringing into the stillness of
eternity: 'Lucifer! Lucifer! Why
hast thou fallen, Son of the Morn-
mg?

I sensed the half-turning of that
soul moved by this omnipotent elo-
quence. Then sullen pride triumph-
ed. That god-like but self-destroy-
ing pride! I sensed the perverted
glory of that lost son. He who had
been among the most exalted — fall-
ing— falling from the grace of God!

LJespair weighed me!
How could we — lesser ones — hope
to prevail when such greatness had
failed? He — the Son of the Morn-
ing!

Voices murmured. Awe crept
over all.

And then he was gone — the
Prince of Darkness wearing his de-
feat majestically. I will never for-
get that terrible, tragic deserter!
Alone — unwanted — but not un-
mourned. . . .

And now the brothers had met

again.

{Concluded on page 707)

683

a Woman

of VISION

Ctarted by Susa Young Gates in 1889 and Edited by
eight women of vision, the "young woman's jour-

NAL" IN ITS FORTIETH YEAR IN 1929 MERGED WITH "The

Improvement Era."

By MARBA C JOSEPHSON

Associate Editor of "The Improvement Era"

SUSA YOUNG GATES
(Founder of the "Young
Woman's Journal" and

Editor, 1889-1901.)

Behind every great movement
stands a great person, one who
towers above his fellows and
whose shadow elongates to mold
events and shape destiny. The
story behind the founding of the
Young Woman's Journal is poig-
nantly bound up in the life of one
whose vision and care brought the
Journal through its perilous years of
early childhood. Eight other great
women also figured in its growth.
Their genius nurtured the Journal
into maturity and all of them lived
to see this child of their hopes safely
embarked on a greater journey
when, as it reached its maturity of
forty years, it combined with The
Improvement Era.

We are told in the Doctrine and
Covenants : "To every man is given
a gift by the Spirit of God. To
some is given one, and to some is
given another, that all may be
profited thereby." Each of the
women who fostered the Journal
had rich gifts. But of necessity the
story of the woman whose vision in-
spired its founding must receive the
greatest consideration in any article
dealing with that magazine.

While nothing is said in the Doc-
trine and Covenants about women's
having gifts, many of them did,
some of them by virtue of the men
who fathered them. One such wom-
an was Susa Young Gates, daughter
of Brigham Young by Lucy Bigelow,
who also by right of descent was
entitled to many gifts of the spirit.

One of the surprising things about
our early Mormon women and their
descendants was their ability to see
into the deeper significance of life
and in spite of hard times keep
bright the flame of desire for the
684

good things, both for themselves and
others of their faith. Theirs was an
entirely unselfish devotion to the
cause of the majority. They knew
that their personal accomplishments
might carry them far, but they for-
got self entirely for the benefit of the
greater number.

Susa Young Gates, born of a gen-
eration who had conquered dis-

MAY BOOTH TALMAGE
(Editor, 1901-1902.)

tance, entered a new pioneering field.
Brilliant, friendly, capable, she
could have gone far in her own right.
But first and last, she was a Latter-
day Saint; all else must be sub-
servient to her wish to be a good
Latter-day Saint.

ANN M. CANNON
(Editor, 1902-1907.)

VK7iTH the celebration of the
fortieth year of the initial
publication of "The Improve-
ment Era," it is only fitting that
recognition be accorded a mag-
azine which submerged its
identity in order to make a
greater magazine for the
Church. That magazine, "The
Young Woman's Journal,"
owed much to the far-seeing
women who piloted it through
its perilous early life. They
too must share in the glory that
has accrued to the magazine
which has resulted from their
uniting to make a greater "Im-
provement Era."

To read the accomplishments of
Sister Gates sounds incredible to
those who did not come in personal
contact with this vital, tireless
woman. The number of "firsts" to
her credit is amazing. She started
life with a first, since, although she
was not the first child of Brigham
Young, she was the first child born
in the historic Lion House on
March 18, 1856.

When she was attending school
at the University of Utah, Dr. Park
appointed her associate editor of the

first western college paper, The Col-
lege Lantern. In 1870, when Pres-
ident Young moved her mother's
family to St. George, Utah, she or-
ganized a large club of men and
women, called the Union Club. In
1878, when she was in Provo, she
organized the music department at
B. Y. U. In 1897, she organized the
domestic science department at the
same institution. Sister Gates was
also organizer of the first state chap-
ter in Utah of the Daughters of the
Revolution.

All of these activities show the
tremendous energy, vision, and abil-
ities of this truly remarkable woman
whose greatness was recognized
among women outside of Utah.
Susan B. Anthony upon one occasion

ELEN WALLACE

(Associate Editor, 1902-

1907.)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

said to her that she would make
Sister Gates president of the Na-
tional Council of Women, if she
would forget her militant Mormon-
ism. Sister Gates replied character-
istically that the price was too high.

A woman's first duty according
to Latter-day Saints is, whenever
possible, to rear children under the
everlasting covenant, according to
the eternal family plan. Although
tragedy stalked Sister Gates in her
desire to live this law, she rose
above her sorrow and finally earned
the merited satisfaction of having a
large and gifted family. Her first
obedience was always to the Priest-
hood and when her husband, Jacob
F. Gates, was called to fill a mission
to the Sandwich Islands, as the
Hawaiian Islands were then called,
she unquestioningly accompanied
him and three of their children were
born there. Had not her father led
a people into the wilderness? She,
a daughter of that father, could do
no less than accompany her husband
on his special appointment.

Proof of her undying love of the
Church and devotion for its prin-
ciples is manifested in her sacrifice
of her own career in order to become
a mother in Israel. In addition to
the thirteen children whom she bore,
she became a light to countless chil-
dren not her own, who lovingly
called her "Aunt Susa."

She herself never felt that she had
sacrificed. On one occasion at least,
she said: "It was better that I
marry and give of my talent to my
children. If I had continued with
my own career, there would have
been only one. Because I married,
one daughter has achieved inter-
national fame with her golden voice;
one son has given his musical talent
to the Church; another son has be-
come recognized in the field of liter-
ature; another daughter has become
well-known in domestic science."

^Taturally, when a woman of the
ability, the spirituality, the geni-
ality which Sister Gates possessed,
turned her attention to any field, she
was certain to meet success. When,
accordingly, while still in the Is-
lands, she had the vision of what a

ELSIE TALMAGE
BRANDLEY

(Associate Editor, 1923-
1929; Editor, 1929.)

magazine for young women could
mean to them and to the Church, she
was not long in trying to realize the
dream. In this instance, she once
again proved her willingness to obey
and follow the counsel of the Priest-
hood. While there were already
three Church publications: the
Juvenile Instructor, for the Sunday
School; the Woman's Exponent, for
the Relief Society; and the Con-
tributor, for the Young Men's Asso-
ciation; there was no magazine for
the young women. There was no
opportunity for the young women
of the Church to receive special mes-
sages, to voice their opinions, or to

ESTELLE NEFF
CALDWELL

(Co-editor with Elen
Wallace, 1905.)

MARY CONNELLY

KIMBALL

(Editor, 1907-1923.)

ask questions. She wrote first of
all to Joseph F. Smith, second coun-
selor to President Wilford Wood-
ruff, and explained the plan for this
new magazine. He advised her to
counsel with President Woodruff,
which she did. With his approval
and recommendation, she wrote to
the presidency of the Young Ladies'

CLARISSA A. BEESLEY

(Associate Editor, 1914-

1923; Editor, 1923-

1929.)

Mutual Improvement Association,
who voted in favor of the publica-
tion and presented their wishes to
the First Presidency-

In May, 1889, when the Gates
family returned from their mission,
the work began. In October, 1 889,
the first issue was published. Two
aims were ever-present in the mind
of Sister Gates and her co-workers:

1, the spirit of the magazine should
take precedence over literary forms;

2, home writers should be encour-
aged in order to cultivate talent
among our own people. In the pages
of the magazine were such depart-
ments as: House and Home, Dress
Department, Health and Hygiene,
Our Girls' Department. In addi-
tion were to be found fiction, poetry,
and articles on literary appreciation.

Of course, the financial situation

was serious. The only way of ad-
vertising was by word of mouth.
Many of the women, including Sister
Gates' own mother, paid all of their
own expenses and drove their own
horses and buggies into the outlying
districts that the magazine might
continue.

For eleven years, Sister Gates
was the guiding spirit of the Journal.
Traveling back and forth from her
home in Provo, she was ever at the
helm. Her keen intellect, her warm
sympathies, her intense vitality kept
the new magazine going.

When her husband was called on
another mission, this time to New
York, "Aunt Susa" resigned the
editorship so that she might accom-
pany him. Her indomitable spirit
which had kept the magazine going
during its eleven hazardous years
was sufficient to carry it forward
through the succeeding years.

Her courage in face of disaster,
her sublime faith can best be illus-
trated in episodes from her life, many
of which have been a constant source
of encouragement to those who have
known of them. After the tragic
death of a little daughter, instead of
futilely weeping, Sister Gates went
home and canned tomatoes. Her
heart ached, as all women's hearts
must ache in the face of a loss so
intense, but hers was the truly val-
iant spirit. She would work out her
grief rather than succumb to it. She
early in her life learned the value
of true prayer. Whenever things
seemed too hard to bear, she went
to the Lord. She talked the situ-
ation through with Him. Then
when she arose from her knees, she
left her sorrow and heartbreak with
Him. She carried hope and courage
to her new tasks.

Susa Young Gates had a talent,
recognized it, and acted on it. From
her vision, the Young Woman's
Journal received the impetus to go
forward through exactly forty years
of existence under eight capable
editors before it was wedded to The
Improvement Era. The magazine
began with the first issue in October,
1889, and closed with its final issue
in October, 1929- — forty years of
glorious achievement.

685

"In honor of the Era's Fortieth Anniversary and President
Grant's forty years' service to the Era, at least forty per
cent of all our homes will have the church magazine."

7T challenge in the Church-wide campaign
/-% to place The Improvement Era in every
"*■ home has been issued by Ensign Stake, last

year's third place winner in Class B Stakes for
total number of subscriptions. One of the larger
stakes of the Church, Ensign has set its immediate
goal at 1250 subscriptions — 40 per cent of the
Church homes in the stake — and has coupled this
avowed objective of a new all-time Church-wide
record with a further expressed determination to
realize the symbolism of its name and be an Ensign
to the Church.

The Ensign stake Era objective for the current
year has in it several points of particular signifi-
cance in addition to the fact that it represents 40
per cent of Ensign Stake Church homes. The goal
was placed at this figure to commemorate The Im-
provement Era's forty years' service to the Church
and President Grant's forty years' service to the
Era. The objective has also been established to
honor President Grant, founder and editor of the
Era, on his eighty-first birthday anniversary, which
occurs in the same month as the Era's fortieth
anniversary — November, 1 937.

The Ensign Stake plan, which involves many
special features, was launched several weeks ago
by Anne Smith and Chet Larson, Ensign
Stake Era Directors, who have lined up behind
them the active and loyal support of the stake and
ward M. I. A. leaders; George Cannon Young and
Louise P. Clawson, stake M. I. A. superintendent
and president; and the stake presidency, Winslow
F. Smith, George J. Cannon, and Oscar W. Mc-
Conkie, and the bishops of wards.

A special meeting of the stake presidency, stake
high council, stake M. I. A. leaders, and ward
bishoprics was called early in September to approve
and launch the plan, which provides for the ap-
pointing of an Era chairman by the bishop of each
ward, and for the appointment of captains of fifty
under whom as many Era workers as are necessary
are appointed to visit twelve families each.

Display cards were shown at the Ensign stake
M. I. A. convention at which High Councilman
D. E. Judd sounded the challenge. These placards
have been shown also at other stake and ward
functions. Some of them read as follows:

LEFT TO RIGHT: ENSIGN STAKE
PRESIDENT WINSLOW F. SMITH;
GEORGE CANNON YOUNG, STAKE
SUPERINTENDENT OF Y. M. M. I. A.;
LOUISA P. CLAWSON, STAKE PRES-
IDENT Y. W. M. I. A.; CHET LARSON,
STAKE ERA DIRECTOR, AND ANNE
SMITH, STAKE ERA DIRECTOR.

Onward with the Church — The Era will keep

you Informed.
The Era — 40 Years of Successful Missionary

Work.
The Era Tells the Church about the Church.
In the Era — Messages from the First Presidency.
The Era Read in Every Home.
Ensign Stake Goal — 1250.
Ensign Stake to Lead the Church — Subscribers

and Readers.
The Era is the Organ of the Priesthood

Quorums.

Tt is peculiarly fitting that Ensign stake should
undertake to set a new all-time Church-wide
Era record in this fortieth anniversary year be-
cause it is President Grant's home stake.

It is not thought, however, that Ensign's earnest
and spectacular challenge will be left uncontested.
Most of last year's leading stakes have declared
themselves out for this year's high percentage or
high numbers placements and most of the stakes
who did not place among the leaders last year are
organized for higher records this year. Last year's
record by Salt Lake and Ensign stakes has spurred
other Salt Lake City stakes to project their activi-
ties for greater accomplishment. Brother and
Sister W. H. Earnshaw who directed Salt Lake
Stake's outstanding achievement last year are again
directing the program in that stake. President
Leo J. Muir, Superintendent George A. Baker,
President Geneva Langlois, and Arnold G. Morris,
Era Director, who were behind last year's all-time
all-Church record in Los Angeles, also have plans
for this year, and Stake President H. R. Price has
already set Maricopa stake's goal at 1000 Era
subscriptions.

But above all the friendly and interesting stake
competition and challenge and counter-challenge
is the great motivating purpose of service and
missionary endeavor — the determination and desire
to comply with the oft-repeated request of the
President of the Church to place the Era, the
Church-wide missionary, in every home in order
that a growing and spreading world-wide Church
may be kept in touch with its leaders and with each
other, in order that wholesome and informative
Church reading matter may have its influence in
every home, and in order that the Church may be
kept closely united in a restless and shifting
world. — R. L. E.

686

A GOOD INVESTMENT

other!" ten-year-old
Johnny stopped eating
his cereal for a minute,
"What is a good investment?"

"Whatever put that idea into
your head, son?"

"Well, I heard you and Daddy
talking after he came from meeting
last night. He said the reason he
promised to give five hundred dol-
lars to the new meetinghouse was
because he thought it would be a
good investment. What did he
mean?

"Well, dear, a good investment
means that you put your money into
something that pays. That is, you
get back enough to pay for what
you put in and more."

"Does that mean that if we put
that much money into the ward
chapel we'll get our money back
some time?"

"No, we probably won't get our
money back; but there are other
things we could get out of it that
would be even more valuable. But
if you don't hurry you'll be late
for school."

Johnny wondered what they could
get out of a new meetinghouse that
would be worth more than money.
Goodness knows they had a hard
time getting enough to live on as
it was. There was the new stove
Mother had planned on. It cost
only about a hui. Hred, and they had
waited a long tm:e trying to save
enough to buy it. And now they
wouldn't get it for a long time yet.
He had heard them say last night
that they would have to give it up.

It seemed to Johnny that mother
needed a stove worse than almost
anything. That one in the kitchen
caused no end of trouble. And after
all, a ward chapel wasn't used much
except on Sunday. Money and fur-
niture around the house were used
every day. A stove was not all they
needed. Other folks had new ice
boxes that even froze ice cream and
kept things cool — but mother kept
her things cool in the ditch behind
the house.

Everybody seemed thrilled over
the new chapel. Johnny was proud
of the fact that he was one of the
first group of Deacons that were
called to the stand and presented
to the people. He noticed that his
father and mother seemed proud of
him as he stood there before the
congregation.

The new building was grand.
They never had to dismiss some

<*$.

of the Sunday School classes now
on account of cold weather. But
he'd had a lot of fun in the old one
— been scared, too! There was the
time the President of the Primary
had asked him to lead in prayer.
She had stood by his side with her
arm around him and helped. It
seemed a little thing now, but he'd
been mighty proud after it was
over.

When he became a Scout he
passed most of his tests and receiv-
ed most of his badges in the new
chapel. He was ordained a Teacher
and then a Priest there. First time
he helped with the Sacrament he
thought he knew the blessing on the
bread, and, when he was half way
through, he had to stop and start
over with a card in front of him.

Shortly after he was ordained an
Elder he was called on a mission.
They had a party for him in the
new chapel and almost everyone
in the ward seemed to be there to
help show him a good time. It
made him feel more important, like
somehow the ward was part his.

"\\7hen he first lauded in the mis~
sion field, the outlook wasn't
so bright. How in the world could
he ever learn enough to meet some
of these polished ministers. Why,
some of them had been to college
twelve years, and he had just fin-
ished high school. The first time

A SHORT SHORT STORY

GILBERT H.
ANDREWS

he talked to one he got so mixed
up he didn't know whether he was
a Mormon or what!

Then almost overnight he found
himself. When he got the spirit of
missionary work and really studied,
so many things he had learned in
the home ward came back to him
that he found himself well able to
defend and explain the Gospel.

All too soon his mission was over
and he was home. Mother and fa-
ther were still in the same old house
with the same old stove. Every
time they got ready to get a new
one something like the ward chapel,
the new stake house, or his mission
had to come first.

The crowd at Sacrament meeting
when he reported his mission was
the largest he had ever faced. He
felt just a little frightened when he
stopped to think that after all many
of these people knew more about
the Gospel than he did. And then
he saw his mother's face in the au-
dience. She wasn't paying particu"
lar attention to the opening exer-
cises. She was watching him. He
had seen that same look of pride
and joy before, but it seemed to
stand out more than ever now.

Once he got started he thorough-
ly enjoyed himself. He had been
rated one of the best speakers in
his district and he would give these
home friends the best that he had.
And after all he was talking to just
two people in the group. When he
closed his talk with a strong testi-
mony and sat down, he noticed that
his mother's eyes were glistening
with tears. He suddenly realized
how much these people and this
Church had meant in his life.

After the meeting so many peo-
ple shook hands with him and con-
gratulated him. Mother just put
her arms around him and kissed
him before the whole group. What
a thrill it gave him!

As they walked homeward he
put his arm around Mother on one
side and Dad on the other. "Moth-
er, do you remember telling me why
you thought the five hundred dol-
lars you put into the new chapel
was a good investment? I know
now why you thought so. May you
never think otherwise."

687

JhsL LOG OF A

London News Agency Photo.
PRESIDENT GRANT ON THE BOAT TRAIN,
WATERLOO STATION, LONDON, JUST BEFORE
LEAVING FOR SOUTHAMPTON ON THE RETURN
JOURNEY TO AMERICA.

CONCLUSION

Stockholm, Sweden.
Sunday, August 22, 1937

WE enjoyed this morning's
meeting with the Saints
very much. The Church
looked very attractive with its vases
of flowers and curtained windows.
Sister Larson says the sisters of the
Branch have been scrubbing and
cleaning for days to have it all as
clean as it could be when we came.
The meeting tonight was well at-
tended. The brethren estimated we
had about 50% present who were
not Church members. Father told
us that very interesting experience
he had when here about thirty-three
years ago when he and his party
called on King Oscar. It was the
Fourth of July and in the morning
he said to the party, "What would
you like to do to celebrate our natal
day?" No one seemed to have any
special idea and so he said, "I know
what I would like to do. I would
like to call on King Oscar," and
addressing his wife and daughters
and the other lady he said, "Go put
on your best clothes and we will call
on the king."

King Oscar was at his palace on
one of the little islands which com-
prise Stockholm. When the party
arrived at the palace grounds, father
suggested to them that they wait at
a certain place and he would go up
to the door and present a letter which
he had written before leaving the
hotel. If the letter were favorably
■688

EUROPEANTOUR

UJWv {pM&uknt $Aan£
and. thiL QtwhwiiaL {Parity-

By LUCY GRANT CANNON

Of the General Presidency of the Y. W. M.L A.

received, he would beckon with his
hand for them to come to him. In
the letter he had told that they were
Americans, that he had a letter from
the Governor of Utah vouching for
him as a worthy citizen, and he en-
closed the letter which the Gov-
ernor had given him with the seal
of the state of Utah on it. He
reached the door, knocked, and

faultless English. In the course of
the conversation father told him who
they were and about our missionary
system. The king said many of the
ministers of the churches in Sweden
had asked that the Mormons be
prohibited from proselyting in Swe-
den. King Oscar said he would not
do this because he had sent his
agents all over the United States to

THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
PARTY ON AUGUST 17, 1937,
AT THE CASTLE NEAR COPEN-
HAGEN MADE FAMOUS BY THE
STORY OF HAMLET. LEFT TO
RIGHT: JOSEPH J. CANNON,
RAMONA W. CANNON, DANISH
MISSION PRESIDENT ALMA L.
PETERSEN, PRESIDENT HEBER
J. GRANT, LUCY G. CANNON,
JOSEPH ANDERSON, CLARISSA
A. BEESLEY, PRESIDENT LY-
MAN.

handed his letter to the man who
answered the door. In a few min-
utes another man appeared and
asked in English what father want-
ed. Father replied, he wished to
see the king, and the man replied
that would be impossible, as those
who saw him must be properly pre-
sented. Father said, "Did the king
tell you to tell me that?" and the
man replied, "No." "Well," said
father, "I sent a letter to the king
and I would like it back if he will
not receive me. In the letter I have
enclosed one from the Governor of
the great state of Utah."

The man left him for a moment
and in a few minutes he was told
the king would receive him. So
father beckoned to his party and
they came up to the palace. King
Oscar stepped out and spoke to them
in Swedish. Then he asked how
many of them spoke Swedish. Only
three did. He then spoke to them in

ascertain how the Swedish people
were faring in America, and that no-
where in any of the states did he
find them so happy, contented, and
prosperous as in the state of Utah,
The interview lasted about ten min-
utes and was an experience to be
remembered.

Monday, August 23, 1937

13 roth er Larson had our trip

planned so systematically he

CLARISSA A. BEESLEY AND LUCY GRANT CAN-
NON ON THE STEPS OF THE L. D. S. COPEN-
HAGEN CHAPEL.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

TIVOLI, COPENHAGEN, AT NIGHT.

gave us a written schedule for each
day. The one for today was:

8:30-9:30— Breakfast at hotel.

10-12 — Missionary meeting at
chapel.

12-1:30— Lunch at Grand Hotel.

2-4 — Boat tour of Stockholm
waterways.

4-6 — Relaxation.

6-7 — Dinner at Marnarita — City
Hotel.

7:30 — M. I. A. meeting.

We followed it as outlined except
the breakfast was put forward half
an hour so the meeting could be held
earlier in order that we might visit
the town hall before lunch. We
were glad we did not miss a visit to
the town hall. It is so artistically
situated, overlooking one of the
waterways. The most elaborate
room was the banquet hall where
eight hundred people can be seated.
The walls of this room are in glass
mosaic; millions of pieces of glass
were used to make the mosaics.

After a fine Swedish luncheon we
took a boat ride of about two hours,
circling the islands. The sun was
shining and most of the time a gentle
breeze was blowing. Passing boats
made waves in the water and we had
the feeling of real sailing. Along
the banks were hundreds and hun-
dreds of pleasure boats of every
type. Sister Larson says 40,000
people in Stockholm own boats.

In the evening we had an M. I. A.
meeting and afterwards walked back
to the tower where we could take
our last look at Stockholm by night.

Wednesday, August 25, 1937.
HPhere were a few hours for us
to spend in Gotberg before
leaving for Oslo. We took the
train a little after one o'clock.
All the Elders and some of the
Saints were there to see us off. There

was one dear old lady who came up
to shake hands with father, and she
said all her life she had wanted to
see the President of the Church, but
had not thought she would have the

SEEING STOCKHOLM THROUGH ITS WATER-
WAYS. LEFT TO RIGHT: SWEDISH MISSION
PRESIDENT GUSTIVE 0. LARSON, PRESIDENT
GRANT, SISTER VIRGINIA B. LARSON, AND
PRESIDENT LYMAN.

opportunity now that she was get-
ting so old. She said she had seen
his picture often, but now to see

him was the happiest day of her
life.

We said goodbye to President
Gustive Larson in Gotberg. We
had all formed a very favorable
opinion of Sweden and her people.

As we neared Oslo we came in
sight of the fjords and we were not
disappointed as we viewed the Oslo
Fjord. The calm water and the beau-
tiful islands and hills make it a scene
we will long remember.

At the station a large group of
Saints and missionaries were there
to greet us. President Peterson's
young daughter, dressed in the col-
orful costume of the country, pre-
sented father with a basket of beau-
tiful flowers from the Elders and
Saints of Oslo. The Relief Society
president also gave him a bouquet
of roses from the Relief Society. We
came immediately to our hotel and
after about fifteen minutes we were
off again to an M. I. A. meeting.
Father rested in the hotel. We had
a good meeting and a very fine
group of people in attendance. We
enjoyed the singing of the choir.
My, how these Scandinavians can
sing. We will all have to take off
our hats to them.

Friday, August 27, 1937

esterday was one of the finest
of the whole trip. Pres. A. Rich-
ard Peterson and family and three
Elders went on an auto trip with
us, taking us to see the fjords and
the Norse museum and other places
of interest. They called for us at
about ten o'clock, and we took a
drive out along the hillside, and
every now and then we would come
in full view of the fjord. It was a
perfect day, with the sun shining
{Continued on page 697)

A TYPICAL NORWEGIAN FJORD WITH ITS
RUGGED LOVELINESS AND AWESOME BEAUTY.

nineteenth Century 1. 1. %. Temple irchiteeture

THE TEMPLE AT MANTI, UTAH, (DEDICATED 1SSS).
UPPER: CELESTIAL ROOM; LOWER: STONE SPIRAL
STAIRWAY, LOOKING DOWN THREE STORIES.

690

These pictures copyright 1937. All rights reserved. Repro-
duction permission for any purpose specifically withheld.

ALBERTA TEMPLE, CARDSTON, CANADA, (DEDICATED
1923). UPPER: CELESTIAL ROOM; LOWER: BAPTISTRY.

IweaMh Century |I. B. f . Temple Hrehiterture

These pictures copyright 1937. Alt rights reserved. Repro-
duction permission for any purpose specifically withheld.

691

fcditxfiiaL

To President Heber J. Grant, divinely chosen
leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, the staff and readers of "The
Improvement Era" offer congratulations upon
the eighty-first anniversary of his birth.

Q/orty LJears

"Defore me stand forty volumes of The Improvement
Era— one for each year of its life. More than forty
thousand pages, every one filled with entertaining, in-
formative, character-building, faith-promoting material!
How the Era must have blessed its readers from month
to month! It forms a noble record of the works and
ideals of a great people. As I turn the pages, thoughts
crowd in upon me.

A book of remembrance was kept in the days of
Father Adam. Ever since, men have recorded their
thoughts and deeds in pyramid and palace, on polished
stone or beaten metal, on papyrus, or paper, along the
highways of earth. Upon the lessons of the past, thus
preserved, the generations of men have built their own
days.

Indeed, every generation should, in justice to itself
and those who follow, leave memorials of its times.
Thus, expenditures for permanent structures of use and
beauty are justified. Statues, shrines, and temples,
beautiful homes and notable business buildings, roads
and bridges, pictures, music and books — all become
parts of the book of remembrance passed on from one
generation to help another. Every man's joy is in the
sum of human possessions, to which his own contribu-
tion is necessarily small.

The Latter-day Saints have been faithful in recording
their history. The Kirtland Temple, built at uncounted
sacrifice, tells eloquently of the devoted faith of the
founders of the Church. The Salt Lake Temple,
rearing its six towers heavenward from the great Amer-
ican desert, reveals the unconquerable, certain vision
of the high destiny of the Church. Farms, houses,
cities, tabernacles, temples, and monuments cover the
course of "Mormon" history. And this type of record-
ing is continuing.

The story of the Church has also been told in written
or printed words. The publication of a book, the Book
of Mormon, is the most celebrated fact connected with
the organization of the Church. Hundreds of other
books, setting forth the claims and history of the re-
stored Gospel have been authorized by the Church.
Periodicals have constantly informed and inspired the
people; these have now become invaluable records of
bygone days.

The periodicals of the Church, past and present, form
a most distinguished assemblage; the Messenger and
Advocate, the Morning and Evening Star, the Elders'
Journal, the Times and Seasons, the Millennial Star, the
Deseret News, the Journal o} Discourses, the Con-
tributor, the Young Woman's Journal, the Children's

Friend, the Utah Genealogical and Historical Mag-
azine, the Liahona, the Relief Society Magazine, and
many others.

In this illustrious company The Improvement Era
finds itself. Soberly, on its fortieth anniversary, it sur-
veys its history, duties, and opportunities. Humbly it
looks back upon its own record of service; coura-
geously it looks into a future of greater achievement.
Gratefully it remembers the host of contributors and
field workers who have made its success possible. It is
doubly grateful for the men and women who as found-
ers and editors have made it acceptable to the people:
Presidents Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, and
Heber J. Grant, its founder and present editor, Brigham
H. Roberts, Edward H. Anderson, Hugh J. Cannon,
Harrison R. Merrill, and Elsie Talmage Brandley. It
looks trustfully to the present staff, and knows that it
will never want for capable help.

Today as before, The Improvement Era holds aloft
its three-fold purpose: To record the current events
and thoughts connected with the progressive life of the
Church; to interpret events and opinions in the light
of the principles of the restored Gospel, for the up-
building of the faith of young and old; and to leave on
the pages of the Era a truthful, helpful record of our
own age.

Today, celebrating its fortieth anniversary, The Im-
provement Era voices heartfelt gratitude to all who
have helped to make it successful, and it pledges its
best efforts to serve the people of the Church in achiev-
ing their high purposes as Latter-day Saints. — /. A. W.

oman s

Changed v(/orId

HPhrough the pages of the Era, we have been empha-
A sizing the tremendous changes which have occurred
during the lifetime of our magazine. Strangely enough,
the changes have revolutionized woman's sphere par-
ticularly. Where formerly woman's work kept her
constantly bent over the tub or the stove, modern con-
veniences have emancipated her and brought a new,
hitherto unheardof freedom. Hours of drudgery have
dwindled into minutes of rapidly completed work.
Where in years past woman was confined almost liter-
ally to the kitchen, today she has leisure to do much as
she pleases.

What is woman doing with this new-found leisure?
Therein lies the secret of her success or failure. Is
she frittering away her time with senseless amuse-
ments or is she employing her time wisely to benefit her-
self, her family, her community, her Church?

The old saying about idle hands and mischief is as
true — if not truer — than it ever was. With increased
leisure, there is also increased mischief — and need for
increased diligence in safeguarding our heritage.

From many sections of the country has come the in-
formation that most of our present-day trouble centers
in young married women, who, having so much leisure,
are using it to their destruction rather than to their
salvation.

With the new leisure, many opportunities are afford-
ed women to increase in power. Endless opportunities
are open for mental and cultural growth through ex-
tension courses, study groups, and individual reading.
With increased time, women could undertake a study
of our civil institutions and with vigor clean up some of

{Concluded on page 712)

692

ihsb OhqatL ofr. Bul (pAJUidJJwotiL

To the older men of the Church the story of
the Era's many years as the organ of the
Priesthood is perhaps familiar ground, but
to the rising generation of young men and women
it is one of those inherited facts which are accepted
without historical knowledge. And so, in this
fortieth anniversary issue we here review the steps
through which the Era became a general Church-
wide magazine.

In Volume XI, Number 1, November, 1907,
pages 63 to 65, B. H. Roberts, speaking as a mem-
ber of the First Council of the Seventy, wrote as
f ollows :

Congratulations. — We congratulate the Seventies, first,
upon their now having an Organ; by which we mean, of
course, a publication devoted to their interests; to the devel-
opment of their views; and the principles for which they
stand; also a medium of announcement and publication of
official acts. By means of the Era the First Council will
be in constant communication with all the quorums of the
Seventy in the Church. They will be able to suggest,
advise, counsel, and direct the Seventies' work, both in
administrative matters and in theological studies. , . The Era
has been the medium, of late years, through which nearly
all important doctrinal and theological articles both of an
official and semi-official character have been published, and
it is these doctrinal papers that are of especial interest to
the Seventies, since they deal with questions in which
Seventies are, or should be, intensely interested; and are
published in such form that they can be easily preserved
and readily consulted. . . . And so we say to our Seventies,
now that we have an organ, let us make use of it, both because
it will give helpful suggestions in relation to conducting the
special work of the quorums, and also because it will give
helpful suggestions in relation to conducting the special work
of the general character that will be helpful in preparing the
members thereof for their labors in the ministry. . . .

The proposition has been equally welcomed by the Sev-
enties wherever it has been presented to them, and is regarded
as a most fortunate thing, both for the lira and the quorums
of Seventy.

Seventies Era Agents. — The presidents of the respective
quorums should at once take under advisement the appoint-
ment of an Era agent for the quorum, whose business it
shall be to solicit subscriptions within the quorum for the
magazine. . . .

The Era sends copies of each issue free to some two
thousand missionaries in all parts of the world; it could not
do this only that its agents who solicit and collect its sub-
scriptions give their service gratuitously in the interest of
missionary work; and it is on this basis that the First Council
ask their brethren who shall be called to act as agents to
accept the appointment cheerfully, and perform the work
promptly and well.

Cixteen months later, Volume XII, Number 4,
February, 1 909, appeared this official notice on
page 323:

Now that the quorums of the Priesthood are engaged in
the formal study of theology, and meet weekly with this
commendable object in view, there arises a need for a means
of communication between the general officers who have the
study and the direction of the quorums in hand, and the
members and teachers of the quorums. This need, it has
been decided by the Presidency of the Church, the Presiding
Bishopric, the Committee on course of study for the Priest-
hood, and the General Board Y. M. M. I. A., will be supplied
by The Improvement Era which from this date on becomes
the organ of the Priesthood quorums and the Y. M. M. I. A.
. . . Presidents of stakes, bishops and quorum officers and
members are invited to take notice of this arrangement.

President Joseph F. Smith, writing in the edi-
torial columns of Volume XIV, Number 1 2, Oc-

tober, 1911, noted the addition of the Church
schools to the Era's broadening scope, when, on
pages 1 1 12 to 1 1 13 he said among other things:

Already The Improvement Era is the organ of the Priest-
hood quorums, besides being the official organ of the Mutual
Improvement Associations. At a recent meeting of the
Church Board of Education, our magazine was made the
official organ of the Church schools, both boards unani-
mously approving of this action. . . .

Attention is called to the statement of the special features
to be presented in volume fifteen. It will be seen that many
important subjects will be considered, and matters taken up
that will be of vital interest to the general reader. We
hope, as in the past, to make The Improvement Era the mag-
azine of the home, in which both old and young members of
the household will be interested, and in which the quorums,
missions, organizations and educational institutions will be
fully represented.

In all things, however, the spirit of the Gospel will continue
to be the leading thread, holding all these institutions to-
gether, and the Era as in the past, will breathe the Spirit
of our Lord Jesus Christ, seeking to present nothing but what
is clean, pure, proper, and in harmony with his laws and
commandments. This does not mean that modern thought and
ideas which contribute to growth and progress will be
neglected. We believe in progress, and that all truth is em-
braced in the great Gospel plan. We therefore seek these
things, and will continue to present them in the light of the
Gospel, and with a view to the furtherance of the great cause
of the Lord — the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Joseph F. Smith.

C ubsequently, the Church Music Committee was
added to the Era's widening scope, and in 1929,
with the merger of this magazine and The Young
Woman's Journal, the Era became also the organ of
the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Associ-
ation, at which time the First Presidency of the
Church, writing in Volume XXXIII, Number 1,
November, 1929, page 4, said:

It is not too much to expect that, combined with the
Young Woman's Journal and with the aid of gifted women,
The Improvement Era will reach a degree of perfection not
heretofore attainable. . . . The Era will continue to be the
organ of the Priesthood and the Church schools as it has been
for some years past.

Offering, as it does, material suited to the tastes of young
people, it has a well-defined mission to perform among them.
The power of the destroyer is abroad. We read with be-
wildering frequency of appalling disasters on land and sea —
floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, cyclones, wars and revolu-
tions, and both ancient and modern prophecy indicates that
in this respect conditions will not become better. Over these
occurrences naturally no human agency can have control.
But disturbances caused by the elements are not the only
forms, nor indeed the most serious, taken by the destroyer.
Concurrent with them and of far more consequence are the
destructive inroads planned to wreck the character and faith
of our youth. In this line of warfare the assaults are not
made with storm and noise, but craftily. . . . The Era must
continue to herald the startling truth that the Almighty has
spoken, that man is created in His image, that the Priesthood
has been restored, Christ's Church established and the plan
of salvation made clear.

Heber J. Grant,
Anthony W. Ivins,
Charles W. Nibley,

The First Presidency.

Another step in a broadening Churchwide scope
was taken in May, 1935, when the First Presidency
announced Dr. John A. Widtsoe's appointment as
editor, with President Grant, to assume active
editorial direction of the magazine which now
serves, a worldwide Church. — R. L. E.

693

NEW TEMPLE SQUARE MISSION
PRESIDENT APPOINTED

Joseph J. Cannon, recently returned
from presiding over the British Mis-
sion and now acting as first assistant
superintendent in the General Superin-
tendency of the Y. M. M. I. A., was
appointed by the First Presidency to
serve as President of Temple Square
Mission. Elder Joseph S. Peery who
has served for the past five years in that
capacity has been appointed manager
of the Bureau of Information.

ST. GEORGE TEMPLE PRESI-
DENT NAMED— October 10, 1937

"Clder Harold S. Snow, bishop of
i1 the St. George South Ward, has
been appointed president of the St.
George Temple by the First Presidency.
President Snow succeeds George F.
Whitehead, who has served as temple
president since July, 1932.

President Heber J. Grant made the
appointment at a special meeting of the
St. George Stake Presidency and High
Council.

Sunday, Sept. 5, 1937.

The Wasatch Stake was reorganized
with Henry Clay Cummings as presi-
dent.

Thursday, Sept. 23, 1937.

The headquarters of the Netherlands
Mission have been moved from Rotter-
dam, Holland, to 292 Loan Van Poot,
The Hague, Holland.

Sunday, Sept. 26, 1937.

The chapel of the Sixteenth Ward,
Salt Lake Stake, was dedicated by
President David O. McKay.

The New England Mission has been
fully organized. The mission head-
quarters are at 7 Concord Ave., Boston,
Mass.

SEMI-ANNUAL CONFERENCE
'T'he one hundred eighth Semi-annual
■ General Conference of the Church
convened in Salt Lake City, from Fri-
day, October 1, to Sunday, October 3,
inclusive. All Latter-day Saints were
directed to adhere to the principles
of the Church in every particular. In
ringing statements, President Grant
said:

I announced here at the Priesthood meet-
ing last night and I decided to announce it
again that we expect all the general Officers
of the Church, each and every one of them,
from this very day, to be absolute, full tithe-
payers, to really and truly observe the
Word of Wisdom; and we ask all. of the
officers of the Church and all members of
the General Boards, and all stake and ward
officers, if they are not living the Gospel
and honestly and conscientiously paying
their tithing, to kindly step aside, unless
from this day they live up to these pro-
visions. . . .

No man can teach the Word of Wisdom,
by the Spirit of God, who does not live it.
No man can proclaim this Gospel by the
Spirit of the Living God unless that man is
living his religion; and with this great un-
derstanding that we have before us now we
must renew our loyalty to God, and I be-
lieve beyond a shadow of doubt that God
inspires and blesses, and multiplies our sub-
stance when we are honest with Him.

The General Authorities of the
Church stirred the record-breaking
audiences to a better understanding and
an increased determination to follow
the standards of the Church.

ORVAL W. ADAMS NEWLY
ELECTED PRESIDENT AMERI-
CAN BANKERS ASSOCIATION

r\ R V A L w.
^ Adams,
vice - president
of the Church-
controlled Utah
State National
Bank of Salt
Lake City was
elected presi-
dent of the
American Bank-
ers Association
at their 63rd
Annual Con-
vention, in Bos-
ton, October 13,
1937. Mr. Ad-
ams is a mem-
ber of the Church Auditing Committee.

The nation's highest banking hon-
or has come to Mr. Adams after
a long and successful career as a bank
executive and as a prominent partici-
pant in nationwide banking circles and
activities. Two years ago Mr. Adams
was made a vice-president of the same
organization by popular acclaim from
the floor of the convention, contrary to
usual procedure.

MISSIONARIES LEAVING FOR THE FIELD FROM THE SALT LAKE MISSIONARY HOME
ARRIVED SEPTEMBER 27— DEPARTED OCTOBER 14, 1937

Top row, left to right: Wilson W. Sorensen, T. Emerson Baggaley, Reid Richardson, Aldon Anderson,
George A. Collins, Thomas E. Stolworthy, Karl H. Hilbig, Arlo F. Johnson, Thorley Johnson, Lloyd L. Karren.

Second row: John Van Limburg, Eldon Ricks, Melvyn A. Weenig, Don Orton, Don Jensen, Earl W. Smart,
La Mar J. Wright, Ralph D. Kent, Garth S. Lunt, Sidney Priday, Calvin W. Ware.

Third row: Grant W. Baker, John Dean, Keith E. Smith, Robert K. Cutler, Carson R. Healy, Russell
Hochstrasser, Ivan L. Cluff, Albert L. Lewis, Gilbert A. McDougal, Ralph H. Jones.

Fourth row: Verl Kartchner, J. Donald Earl, William G. Penrod, Karl Freeman, Lewis W. Smith, Elias
W. Smith, J. B. Robinson, J. Ransom Hatch, Hyrum J. Amundsen, Jr., Duane S. Perkins, Arthur B. Nielsen.

Fifth row: Gene H. Gooslind, Wayne Bell, E. Enwood Thompson, Claude J. Burtenshaw, Roselin Stringham,
Anna Allphin, Clarence F. Tanner, Darrell S. Robins, Jason V. Nordgren, Paul F. Lindberg.

Sixth row: Byron A. Howard, Fredrick Q. Lisonbee, Eldon W. Cooley, Emmett L. Brown, LaVern
Whetten, Winnifred McLaughlin, Annie Jarvis, Allan C. Woolley, Irwin Foster, Roy W. Spear, Herman Richards.

Seventh row: LeRtoy Clark, Richard G. Grismare, Hubert C. Lambert, Helen Moffett, Jennie
Fonnesbeck, LeRoy Clark, Edna Smith, L. Flake Rogers, Eugene S. Hintze, Thomas Dyches.

Eighth row: Aaron Jones, Dwight W. Smith, Lynn Buttle, Leona Cleverly, Emma Kendell, Dorothy
Bowman, Alice Hanna, Dean Smith, Warren Stewart, Ralph i Kendell.

Ninth row: Howard R. Haggan, Preston D. Evans, Bessie Greenhalgh, Marguerite Christensen, Maurine
Abbott, Elden Luke, Fern Dansie, Irene Elldredge, Delmer E. Simpson, Don R. Watkins.

Tenth row: Max L. Larsen, 0. Clement Williams, Calvin H. Bartholomew, Toynette Baird, Marjorie D.
Collins, Mrs. LeRoy Clark, Carma Gamble, Pauline Black, Ken Wright, M. Floyd Clark, George R. Blake.

Eleventh row: Max W. McKean, Louis J. Haws, Zella Scott, Donna Anderson, Seletta Morris, lone
Johnson, Dee Esta Burr, Lizzie D. Thomas, Darrill S. Bills, Wendell T. Jackson.

Twelfth row: Claude Brown, Jr., Ferryle B. McOmber, Dean G. Griner, Barton Watson, J. W. Sessions,
Don G. Christenson.

h)PiaL Qkuhck, 3bwudsUiA* £Visl Smjinqj

{Continued from page 660)

Los Angeles, California,

September 22, 1937.
"California hails the Era as the greatest mission-
ary of the Church. In every home it enters it
carries the Gospel message in a clear, interesting,
and friendly manner. The Era is indispensable in
the mission field.

( Signed ) W. Aird Macdonald,"

President of California Mission.

Lovell, Wyoming.

"Being members -of an outlying stake we are
especially appreciative of The Improvement Era. It
is one of our best means of keeping in touch with
the leadership of the Church. We feel it is a bond
that unites us all together. Also, in our stake, The
Improvement Era has been used very effectively in
our missionary work.

(Signed) Archie R. Boyack,"

President of Big Horn Stake.

Huntington Park, California,

September 25, 1937.
"The 40th Anniversary of The Improvement Era
suggests three-fold felicitations: (1) Hearty con-
gratulations to the Era itself; (2) Sincere congrat-
ulations to President Grant upon his living to see
his humble yet inspired efforts mature to the mag-
nificent periodical now issued by the Church; and
(3) congratulations to all the people of the Church
upon the fact that President Grant still lives to
bless them with his wisdom and leadership.
( Signed ) Leo J. Mttir,"

President of Los Angeles Stake.

New York City,
September 26, 1937.
"The present day is one of excesses. The
Church exercises wholesome restraints. Inquiries
come daily as to what the Church is doing, as to
its plans, its methods. Every person should have
an intelligent answer. Give us the Era! It is a
reliable source of information.

(Signed) Frank Evans,"

President of Eastern States Mission.

Salt Lake City, Utah.
"I value The Improvement Era. I appreciate its
vital messages on Church affairs and other live
topics. Each month its pages are bristling with
interest. It is a readable magazine and because
of its fine ideals and standards it is a safe maga-
zine for young and old to read.

( Signed ) Wilford A. Beesley,"

President of Salt Lake Stake.

LaGrande, Oregon,
September 23, 1937.
"Living as we do out in the world, we appre-
ciate the Era as the instrument through which the
voice of the Prophet of God speaks to us, and
points the way to life everlasting.

(Signed) Geo. Ariel Bean,"

President of Union Stake.

Ogden, Utah,
September, 1937.

"The modern test of the success of a magazine
seems to require that it be instructive or entertain-
ing, or both. Some periodicals cater exclusively
to entertainment and others almost entirely to in-
struction; but those of greatest circulation appeal
to readers who are interested in instruction and
entertainment.

"The Era has general appeal. Its instructive
articles cover a wide range of topics of general
information, and the Church matters give detailed
and specific instruction that is almost indispensable
to those who are active in Church work. Its stories
and pictures are delightfully entertaining. And the
gratifying thing about it all is that it is always
wholesome and elevating. I have been a subscriber
for many years and with the exception of few issues
— which I hope some day to acquire — I have a
complete file. As a reference work on Church
history, biography of Church leaders and doctrine
it is unexcelled.

"In fact, I think it is the finest publication of the
Church, and I would not be without it. I read it
from cover to cover. Those who haven't thus read
it should do so and be happily surprised at the
great wealth of stimulating entertainment and in-
struction contained in it.

(Signed) W. H. Reeder, Jr."

President of Mt. Ogden Stake.

Ogden, Utah,
September, 1937.
"A magazine one likes to read containing doc-
trine, testimony and counsel. It promotes cultural
development and stimulates higher ideals. A
source of information on Priesthood activities,
and the progress of the Church. I am grateful
for The Improvement Era. Congratulations on
forty successful years.

(Signed) Samuel G. Dye,"

President of Ogden Stake.

St. George, Utah,
September 27, 1937.
"Congratulations on forty years of wonderful
achievement and on the prospects of another forty
years of continued improvement,

"The Improvement Era is entitled to the support
of every home that wants the best in current
literature. It is interesting, wholesome, vigorous,
and inspirational.

(Signed) W. O. Bentley,"

President of St. George Stake.

Phoenix, Arizona,
September 22, 1937.
"I do not know of an institution in the Church
that is wielding a greater influence than The Im-
provement Era. Its pages are filled with vital
truths attractively written and illustrated.

"Congratulations on the marked improvement
in the last few years in the publication. Maricopa
Stake's goal is one thousand subscribers this year.
(Signed) /. R. Price,"

President of Maricopa Stake.

695

DRAMATIS PERSONAE
By Clarence Edwin Flynn

WE all are here — the hero and the
clown,
The villain and the pauper and the slave
— To speak our lines, to win or lose a

crown,
To move across the stage toward a grave.

We tread the stage, and strain our ears

to hear
The clap of hands, or hisses rising high.
Where in the cast, oh friend, do you

appear?
And which among the characters am I?

SO I MAY SEE
By Ora Haven Barlow

Truth is so great
I often cannot see —

Like a blinding light

It shines before my eyes

And I see naught

And stumble in the path.

Help me to rise,
Great God,
This hour;
Help me to turn
This beam
Into the darkness.

Give me always

A portion of Thy power

To focus truth

In front of me

So I may see.

A GORGEOUS DAY
By Estelle Webb Thomas

You and I planned a gorgeous day,
But it rained — do you remember?
And the wind blew chill and the clouds

hung gray,
As they will in late November.

So we merely went for a walk instead,
While the gale rose high and higher,
Then home, with our cheeks and noses red
To read and dream by the fire.

But we found we had a gorgeous day,
Perhaps because of the weather,
For the glory, it seemed, was not in play
But in simply being together!

THE SINGING DUNES
By Lucia Cabot

(There is an old saying among the fishermen that
the wind in the grasses, and blowing through the
top sand, makes the dunes sing.)

The WIND had played a melody
Across the singing dunes,
And in my heart left echoes,
The ghosts of little tunes.

And some were songs of happiness,
And some throbbed deep with pain;

But silver songs from singing dunes,
Are never sung in vain.

696

PRAYER OF THANKS
By Hilda James Worley

We thank Thee, gentle God, for love-
liness
That through the seasons live on stem and

tree,
For masterpieces on a changing sky,
The mirrored depths of every azure sea;
Then for the humbler, sweeter joys of home:
The ties that sanctify its every wall,
Our friends, our kin, and then a loved one's

smile
To cast its gentle aura over all.
And last we thank Thee doubly for that

hour —
The hour wherein our souls commune with

Thee,
And in the beauty of that silence gain
Another step toward immortality.

LIGHTS ON A HILL
By Mildred Game

LIGHTS on a hill are stars swung low
In answer to a prayer
To bless the houses in a row
And give them something rare,
Lifting the eyes of men that climb
In shining gratitude
That God has granted them the boon
To build a neighborhood.

. — ■

QUEST FOR BEAUTY
By Anna H. Hayes

T sought thee, beauty, in the jeweled skies
* And warm, sweet breath of ocean-sighing

wind.
I sought thee in the break of pounding

surf
And where a rose-stream meadow quiet lies.

I sought thee in the distant market place
Where artist's skill has wrought old treas-
ures rare
Of ivory and silver filigree
And silken strands of gold-encrusted lace.

I sought thee, beauty, in an arching dome,
In lofty spires, crested by the sun,
And yet, I found no lovelier sight than this,
Love serving life, within a quiet home!

TRUTH AND BEAUTY
By Nephi Jensen

Bursting bud and blushing rose
And glint of dancing star
Bring me Beauty's repose;
I own all, near and far.

Serene Truth's regal reign

My heart with faith empowers;

Peace holds my soul's domain;
I own life's rarest dowers.

GOSSIPS

By Kathvya Kendall

Their chattering is like a clod
Which — loosened from a mountain-
side—
Bares grim destruction in its wake,
And oh, what lovely flowers hide!

CHOICE

By Margaret Coray

Rather stars
And shafts of candle-light
To flow across all hidden,
Grim, forbidden
Ugliness

Than burning white
Of day, that mars
All loveliness
By searching for its scars.

■ ♦ »

I HAVE A GIFT

By Aurelia Pyper

I have a gift,
But it's so very small
That some would say it is not
A gift at all.

It is not mine

To thrill the souls of men

By painting pictures, singing songs;

Nor yet again

Is given me

The power to uplift

With words of flame, yet I repeat,

I have a gift.

I cannot build

Great temples, it is true.

Or delve in mysteries of science,

But this I do:

I stand in awe

Before a canvas where

An artist shows he's searched his soul

And laid it bare;

I bow me down

On humbly bended knee

While someone speaks his words of faith;

In ecstasy,

I listen to

The songs the singers sing,

Or see the beauty and the joy

The others bring.

It isn't mine —

The power to create;

But still I have a gift, for I

Appreciate. (

WHAT THEY WERE READING

November, 1897

Quo Vadis, Sienkiewicz, Little,
Brown and Co.

Hugh Wynne, Mitchell, Century Co.

The Choir Invisible, Allen, Mac-
millan.

The Christian, Caine, Appleton Co.

Captains Courageous, Kipling, Cen-
tury Co.

In Kedar's Tents, Merriman, Dodd,
Mead and Co.

November, 1917

The Dwelling Place of Light,
Churchill, Macmillan.

Christine, Cholmondeley, Macmillan.

Extricating Obadiah, Lincoln, Apple-
ton.

Missing, Ward, Dodd, Mead.

The Major, Connor, Doran.

The Salt of the Earth, Sedgwick,
Watt.

November, 1937

Northwest Passage, Roberts, Double-
day, Doran.

And So — Victoria, Wilkins, Mac-
millan.

The Citadel, Cronin, Little, Brown,
and Co.

The Seven Who Fled, Prokosch,
Harper.

The Wind from the Mountains,
Gulbranssen, Putnam.

On Reading

"V^ES' seek ye out of the best books
•"■ words of wisdom; seek learn-
ing, even by study and also by faith."
These words, although spoken by the
Prophet Joseph Smith in 1832, still
have tremendous significance for us
today.

The exhortation comes vigorously
as a commandment that we must read
not only good books but the best. As
Lacter-day Saints we are eager to keep
abreast of the times. Our alertness
to events is evidenced through our
reading. It is easy for us to read if
we make up our minds that we should
read. We can find time to do the
things which we want to do.

The difficulty arises in seeking out
the best books. At the present time, in
the United States alone, there are a
little better than twenty-four books
published daily. Imagine — a book for
every hour of your waking and sleep-
ing day!

Even if we had the inclination and
the desire, physical limitations would
make it impossible for most of us to
read even one book a day, to say
nothing of one book an hour. Our
eyes would rebel at the strain; our
minds refuse to absorb what was read;
our bodies revolt at the restrained
position.

We must therefore develop a dis-
criminating taste and not be misled by
attractive make-up and clever adver-
tisers. We want health both mentally
and spiritually from the books we
read. We therefore need to choose
as carefully the books we read as the
food we eat. Many books have been
tested by the acid test of time and
have been found not wanting. In this
class must come of necessity the Bible
which, during all the years, has proved
a consistent best seller. For Latter-day
Saints must come next the standard
Church works: the Book of Mormon,
the Doctrine and Covenants, the Pearl
of Great Price.

Senator Borah has developed a sys-

tem which has proved worthwhile. For
every new book he reads, he reads one
that has become established. Books
like Franklin's Autobiography, Cer-
vantes' Don Quixote, Hugo's Les Mis-
etables should be part of the common
heritage of humanity. The more cur-
rent, popular books should be read
when their timeliness or their mes-
sage warrants their being read. Link's
The Return To Religion, Gulbranssen's
The Wind From the Mountains, and
Heiser's An American Doctor's Odys-
sey fall into this category. The pas-
sage of time will undoubtedly tend to
decrease our interest in' these books,
but their timely message is worth our
considering right now.

As we finish reading those books
which we select, we should make a
very definite criticism, including both
the good and the bad points of each
of them. We shall in this way increase
our power to analyze books, and we
shall become better readers and fulfill
more nearly the commandment: "Seek
learning, even by study." — M. C. J.

LOG OF A EUROPEAN TOUR

(Continued from page 689) Ibsen. It is reproduced just as he

brightly, and just a few clouds in used it.

the sky. After visiting the museum we

We went to the museum which went for a lovely ride to a high
houses three old viking ships. One point above the city where we had
was unearthed in 1867, another in
1880, and the last one in 1904.
These ships were in huge mounds,
which when they were uncovered,
were found to be burial grounds.
The Osberg ship was found in 1903
and unearthed in 1904 under the
guidance of the university. It is
supposed to have been the burial
ship of a queen who lived in the
eighth century. When the ship was
found it contained the skeletons of
the queen, her handmaid, twelve
horses, one ox, and four dogs.

From here we went to the Norse
Folk Museum. We were especially
interested in the room of Hendrik \^

a fine view of the city and the Oslo
Fjord and the harbor.

After a hurried supper we all
went to our rooms to rest for an
hour before going to the chapel for
meeting. Our meeting was a splen-
did one. When we arrived the peo-
ple were all in their places and some
were standing up. The congrega-
tion arose as father entered and re-
mained standing until we had all
come in. The choir made a fine ap-
pearance, all the ladies were dressed
in white. The choir was a splendid
one and sang with feeling and spirit.
Father and Brother Lyman were
the speakers and they had the at-
tention of the audience all the time.
After the meeting father remained
to shake hands with those who were
eager to meet him.

{Continued on page 708)
697

CONDUCTED BY MARBA C. JOSEPHSON

IT'S ALL IN A WOMAN'S LIFE

1897 1917 1937

This is the way we wash our clothes so early Monday morning.

This is the way we iron our clothes so early Tuesday morning.

This is the way we mend our clothes so early Wednesday morning.

The Improvement Era wishes to express its gratitude to the following companies for their courtesy in making this feature
possible: Blackstone Washing Machine Company, Utah Power and Light Company, General Electric Supply Company, White
Sewing Machine Company, Eureka Vacuum Company, Crane Company, Z. C. M. I., Ironrite Company, and the Deseret News.

698

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

1897 1917 1937

This is the way we bake our bread so early Thursday morning.

This is the way we sweep our floors so early Friday morning.

This is the way we take our baths so early Saturday evening.

This deluxe tub of the nineties was of
coppei-lined steel with a polished wood rim.

This is the way we go to church so early Sunday morning!

Ss i-mw

An actual reproduction of
Z. C. M. I. advertisement
appearing October 30, 1897.

699

CONDUCTED BY THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD COMMITTEE OF THE
COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE — EDITED BY JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH

COUNSEL AND

COMMANDMENT

HPhe General Conference of the
A Church held during the first three
days of October, 1937, was outstand-
ing among the conferences of the
Church in the outpouring of the Spirit
of the Lord by way of counsel and
commandment. The remark is some-
times made by thoughtless and unob-
serving persons that the spirit of rev-
elation is not guiding the Latter-day
Saints now as in former times. This
thought can hardly be entertained by
the members who crowded the Tab-
ernacle during the three days of con-
ference. To all who possess the spirit
of discernment and the enlightenment
of the Holy Spirit, it was very ap-
parent that the Lord was pouring out
His Spirit and giving to the members
of the Church commandment and di-
rection, which is most timely and need-
ful in these days of increased disobedi-
ence and wickedness, which pervade
the world.

Never, perhaps, has President Grant
spoken with greater power and inspira-
tion to the assembled multitudes of
the Church than at this conference.
Seldom have the members been called
upon with greater power and inspira-
tion to obey the counsels and com-
mandments of the Lord; to walk in
wisdom's paths and be faithful to
principle and covenant, that the Church
may escape the evils which are rap-
idly consuming the entire world. Never
has there been a time when such in-
struction and commandments were
more needed.

The world is rapidly being overcome
by immoral practices. Men and wom-
en and even children of tender years
are destroying their bodies with nar-
cotics, stimulants, and other evil
agencies; and these are finding their
way among the people who are under
covenant to observe and keep the
laws of God. The standards set up
in the Gospel for the Latter-day Saints
are exceedingly high. They are based
upon divine principles which have been
revealed for the temporal as well as
the spiritual salvation of the children
of men. No other people in the world,
as far as we know, hold such high
ideals. We are taught that salvation
hereafter, as well as now, depends upon
keeping the body clean, sweet, and a
fit tabernacle for the Spirit of God.
How can the Spirit of the Lord dwell
in unclean tabernacles? Paul cried out
in words of warning to the Saints of
former days: "Know ye not that ye
are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any
man defile the temple of God, him shall

700

God destroy; for the temple of God
is holy, which temple ye are."

One reason why the ideals and as-
pirations of the Latter-day Saints
transcend the ideals and aspirations
of other peoples is due to the fact that
they believe in a literal sense that they
are the offspring of God. He is in very
deed our Father. We were created
in His image and likeness, for it is
written: "In the image of His own
body, male and female, created He
them, and blessed them and called
their name Adam, in the day when
they were created and became living
souls in the land upon the footstool
of God." The declaration of the risen
Lord to Mary, is accepted in a literal
sense. How else can it be received in
reason? ". , . go to my brethren, and
say unto them I ascend unto my Fa-
ther, and your Father; and to my God,
and your God."

What a glorious revelation it is to
us to know that we are "begotten sons
and daughters unto God;" that we are
created in His divine image, even in
the image of His own glorious body!
What a sad thing it is that this great
eternal truth has been lost to the world
through their disobedience, and that
Satan has gained such power among
them, teaching them a debased doc-
trine in relation to their origin!

Since, then, we are the offspring of
God, endowed with power through the
saving truths of the everlasting Gos-
pel and obedience to sacred covenants,
to become like Him, and by the power
of the resurrection — a gift from Jesus
Christ our Elder Brother and the Only
Begotten Son of God in the flesh —
to rise to the great heights of eternal
exaltation, how faithfully and jealous-
ly we should guard these bodies of
flesh and bones! While they are now

corruptible and subject to the ills of
mortal flesh, yet the promise is made
unto us that they shall, through the
resurrection, be quickened again and
become eternal tabernacles for the spir-
its which inhabit them. If we have been
faithful to every covenant and com-
mandment, we shall then receive the
reward of celestial glory. Our bodies
shall be like the glorious body of our
Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and we shall
see Him as He is. "And every man
that hath this hope in Him," said John,
the beloved disciple, "purifieth himself,
even as he (Christ) is pure."

With these glorious truths to gov-
ern us it is only natural for the Lord
to speak through His chosen servants
in admonition and commandment to
the members of the Church, calling
upon them to keep their bodies clean,
their minds pure, their spirits contrite
and their hearts broken.

It is hard to think that any member
of the Church can fail to keep the
Word of Wisdom, and have a desire
to maintain his body pure and unde-
filed, if he understands the nature of
the Gospel and the power of God unto
exaltation. It is a mystery that so many
who profess to know, fail in these holy
and sacred things, for it is a sacred
thing to keep the body undefiled and
free from every power and influence
which tends to impair and destroy its
functions. If we do know the truth,
and then refuse to abide in it, great
shall be our condemnation. What ex-
cuse shall there be for the man who
knows the will of God and does not
heed it? The Jews claimed to be walk-
ing in the light of truth as it came down
from Moses, but they rejected the
Greater Light when he came to them
with the fulness of the everlasting cove-
nants of the Gospel. Jesus called them
(Concluded on page 707)

MONTHLY REPORT OF THE L. D. S. STAKE MISSIONS

Made by The First Council of the Seventy to The Council of the Twelve Apostles

For the Month of August, 1937

Missionary Activities

1. Evenings or part days spent in missionary work 4,514

2. Hours spent in missionary work . 10,027

3. Number of calls made while tracting 8,130

4. Number of first invitations in while tracting 3,829

5. Number of revisits • 2,563

6. Number of Gospel conversations 8,776

7. Number of standard Church works distributed 293

8. Number of other books distributed 318

9. Number of tracts and pamphlets distributed 13,664

10. Number of Books of Mormon sold 153

11. Number of hall meetings held 193

12. Number of cottage meetings held 427

13. Number of cottage and hall meetings attended 2,400

14. Number of investigators present at cottage and hall meetings 2,167

15. Number of baptisms as a result of missionary work _ 91

16. Number of inactive members of the Church brought into activity through stake
missionary service during the month 178

CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC — EDITED BY JOHN D. GILES

GRADING AARONIC
PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS

pOR several years, a recommendation
"*■ has been made by the Presiding
Bishopric that, in wards where there
are two or more quorums, a plan of
grading according to age be followed.
The recommendation is that where
there are three quorums in a ward, the
twelve-year-old boys constitute the
first quorum, those thirteen years of
age would comprise the second quo-
rum, and those fourteen the third
quorum. Under this plan, a boy
would have a promotion on advance-
ment from one quorum to another each
year. This plan, it is believed, will
increase interest and make it possible
to hold more boys for the three-year
period covering the Deacons' quorum
activity.

In wards where there are two quo-
rums, it is suggested that a division
be made on the most practical basis,
leaving the older boys in one quorum
and the younger in the other. Where
four, five, or six quorums are organ-
ized in one ward, the grading could be
done along the same lines, keeping the
boys of each age grouped together as
far as possible.

An outstanding instance of the suc-
cess of this plan is found in the Twen-
tieth Ward, of the Ensign Stake, in
Salt Lake City. The grading plan has
been in effect for more than two years
and has been very successful. Under
the direction of D. J. Watts, Second
Counselor in the bishopric assigned to
Deacons' quorum supervision, three
quorums have been organized, each
with a supervisor, and each containing
boys of the same age group. With
the cooperation of Bishop C. Clarence
Neslen and First Counselor, Louis R.
Wells, this plan has now been stan-
dardized in the ward, with the result
that there is increased attendance and
activity.

LEADING STAKES IN
QUORUM ATTENDANCE

'T'he leading stakes in Aaronic Priest-
A hood quorum meeting attendance
for the month of August were the fol-
lowing :

Per cent

Grant 62

Taylor .„. _ 54

Star Valley 53

Maricopa 53

Juarez - 52

Hollywood 52

Morgan 51

San Juan 48

San Francisco .48

Pasadena .46

Highland .46

The average attendance for the en-
tire Church, for August, was slightly

below the same month in 1936, but
one point higher than for July. It is
urged that Aaronic Priesthood super-
visors devote special attention to the
development of better quorum attend-
ance during the winter months.

PRIMARY ASSOCIATION
COOPERATION

T Tnder the plan approved by the Pre-
*** siding Bishopric, Aaronic Priest-
hood supervisors in all wards, in charge
of Deacons' quorums, should cooper-
ate in every possible way with Primary
Association teachers of the Guide
Class, which is composed of boys
eleven years of age, and encourage all
Primary boys to continue with that
organization, until they graduate. At
the time of graduation, the ceremony
suggested for such occasions should
be conducted at the Sacrament meeting,
and all boys who have graduated and
are properly prepared should be rec-
ommended for ordination to the Aaron-
ic Priesthood.

For the past three years, the Pri-
mary Association reports indicate that
there is an average of 85 per cent of
all the eleven-year-old boys of the
Church enrolled and active in the Pri-
mary Association. It is important that
these boys be contacted by Deacons'
quorum supervisors well in advance
of their twelfth birthdays and urge

them to qualify and prepare themselves
to become Deacons. The Primary As-
sociation is in reality a recruiting
agency for the Aaronic Priesthood,
and every possible effort should be
made by quorum supervisors to co-
operate with Primary officers, in or-
der that all boys may be properly pre-
pared to receive the Aaronic Priest-
hood and be ordained at the proper
time.

TINTIC STAKE VISITS
CHURCH SHRINES

Aaronic Priesthood members from
^* Tintic Stake visited Salt Lake
City in a body on August 20, as the
outstanding feature of the summer ac-
tivity program.

Visits were made to President Brig-
ham Young's Schoolhouse site, Eagle
Gate, Beehive House, Lion House, for-
mer office of the Governor of Utah,
Church Office Building, Deseret News,
KSL Radio Studios, the State Capi-
tol, Presiding Bishop's Office and
other places.

At the Church Office Building, the
boys were fortunate enough to meet
Senator Reed Smoot, Postmaster I.
A. Smoot of Salt Lake City, and a
party of Senators and Congressmen
from the East.

The visit was arranged through the
cooperation of the Presiding Bishopric.

THE WORD OF WISDOM REVIEW

A Monthly Presentation of Pertinent Information Regarding the

Lord's Law of Health

REPEAL AND
"TEMPERANCE"

At the time prohibition repeal was
**■ being urged, statements were
made indicating that real temperance
would be promoted, drinking reduced,
and bootlegging eliminated by the re-
peal of the Eighteenth Amendment. A
statement issued recently by the Na-
tional City Bank of New York City
indicates that profits to the liquor in-
terests in 1936, as compared with 1935,
were nearly one-third higher. The
profits for 1936 were $15,293,000,
which is practically 18 per cent of the
total investment. With the exception
of three other industries: automobiles,
automobile accessories, and drugs, the
liquor profits were higher than those
of any other industry in America.

HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS
FROWN ON LIQUOR

An interesting survey, to learn the
^* attitude of Catholic high school

girls regarding the use of liquor by high
school boys and girls, brought forth
these comments :

"The high school boy who drinks in-
toxicating liquors is a 'show-off,' a smart

aleck, vulgar, reckless."

"I do not associate with boys who drink
intoxicating liquors."

"They're doing it to be smart or be-
cause they don't know any better."

As to their opinion of girls who
drink, they were almost unanimous
with:

"Cheap and common."

"Million times worse than the boys who
drink."

"I think high school girls who drink
are a decided menace."

"Unfit companions."

"Gives me the impression they are
'tough.' "

701

CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC — EDITED BY JOHN D. GILES

WARD TEACHER'S MESSAGE, DECEMBER, 1937

SQUARING OUR ACCOUNTS WITH THE LORD

HThere is still left of the year 1937 enough time, for those who earnestly
A desire to do so, to square accounts with the Lord. There is still time
in which to check back over the year and determine whether or not we
have met our obligations in full.

The obligations to our Father in Heaven are of three kinds or classes:
There are honor accounts, duty accounts, and financial accounts.

As Latter-day Saints, we have honor accounts. We have been
taught the truths of the Gospel, the standards of the Church, and our
obligations as members of the Church, and we have been given our free
agency — placed upon our honor — either to obey the Gospel, or to violate
its teachings. Unpaid honor accounts can be settled only by true re-
pentance and a determination to make up for past failings by full ob-
servance in the future.

Duty accounts are those which place upon us the obligation to do
the things required of us in our Church relationship. Every member has
individual duties, family duties, and Church duties. A check of the past
year will remind us of duty obligations which are unfulfilled. Here again
only true repentance and a determination to make up in the coming years
for remissness of the past can repay the obligations of duty.

Financial obligations include titning, fast offerings, ward maintenance,
and other contributions of money for Church purposes. At the end of
the year is a suitable and appropriate time to check back and learn
whether or not we have met our financial obligations to the Lord. There
is still time in which to make amends for failure to meet these obligations.

As a New Year approaches, the best way to greet it with promises
of success, happiness, and satisfaction, is to meet it with a clear conscience
— with a knowledge of having met the obligations of the past year to the
very best of our ability.

THE TEN LEADING STAKES IN
WARD TEACHING FOR
AUGUST, 1937

Cix stakes reported 100 per cent of
^ Ward Teaching in August, as com-
pared with five stakes in July. Twelve
stakes reported 90 per cent, or above.
The ten leading stakes for August
were:

Per cent

Juarez —.100

Los Angeles 100

Long Beach 100

Bear Lake 100

Oneida 100

Franklin - 100

Weber 97

Big Horn 96

South Davis 96

Ogden - 96

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
WARD TEACHER

And He gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and
some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the Saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying
of the body of Christ;

Till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, unto a perfect man, unto the meas-
ure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;

That we henceforth be no more chil-
dren, tossed to and fro, and carried about

702

with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight
of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow
up into Him in all things, which is the
head, even Christ;

From whom the whole body fitly joined
together and compacted by that which
every joint supplieth, according to the ef-
fectual working in the measure of every
part, maketh increase of the body unto
the edifying of itself in love. (Ephesians,
4:11-16.)

To this end we are given the Priest-
hood and commissioned to go forth,

« ♦

SHINING FAITH
By Ruby W. Simmerman

There are windows gold and shining,
With God's light beaming through;
There are clouds with silver linings,
That bring us faith anew.

Sometimes we see the windows,

But not the gleaming light;
Sometimes we see the dark cloud,

But not the lining bright.

Dear Lord: I thank Thee for the sun
And all Thy glorious light; .

I thank Thee for the moonbeams —
They make the clouds so bright.

I thank Thee for Thy care each day •
And for Thy wondrous love.

Help me to understand Thy plan
And reach to Thee above.

teaching the people by precept. How
many who have accepted the Priest-
hood have given thought of the re-
sponsibility that comes with it? God
has made His plans for our welfare;
they are clear and comprehensive to
those who have a desire to know His
will and keep His commandments,
there should therefore be no room for
doubt in the mind of those who have
entered the waters of baptism.

Some of us as of old are called to
labor as teachers among the people.

To watch over the Church always, and
be with and strengthen them; and see that
there is no iniquity in the Church, neither
hardness with each other, neither lying,
backbiting, nor evil speaking; and see that
the Church meet together often, and also
see that all the members do their duty.
{Doctrine and Covenants, 20:53-55.)

How many who hold the Priesthood
are prepared and willing to carry cut
these instructions and how many must
first set their own houses in order and
be converted before they will carry out
these instructions.

Every man holding the Priesthood should
learn his duty, and to act in the office in
which he is appointed, in all diligence. He
that is slothful shall not be counted wor-
thy to stand, and he that learns not his
duty and shows himself not approved shall
not be counted worthy to stand. (Doctrine
and Covenants, 107:99-100.)

After careful study and prayerful
preparation the thing most needed by
an acting teacher is to be in possession
of the Spirit of the Lord; if he has a
desire to know the will of the Lord,
his efforts will be blessed, and, if he
is humble and prayerful, he will be
guided.

He should upon entering the homes
of the Saints, familiarize himself with
the conditions of the home life. This
can be done mainly through observa-
tion. It is not always wisdom to be
too inquisitive or to ask pointed ques-
tions concerning home life, habits, and
personal matters. Every visit should
be characterized by gentleness, kind-
ness, and the spirit of brotherly love.
A teacher should never leave his home
to make a visit without first asking the
Lord for His blessings and the guid-
ance of His spirit.

A teacher who believes in his work
and who is in possession of the Spirit
of the Lord is a welcome visitor in the
homes of the Saints and the more often
his visits the greater the happiness,
the greater the encouragement, the
greater the desire to serve God. We
are strengthened through associating
with the strong. We receive faith
through works, and partake of the
Spirit of the Lord when unity, love,
and kindness have prepared us for its
reception.

Exploring the Universe

A newly perfected tungsten incan-
■*"* descent lamp is coiled and recoiled
to give 10 per cent more light, a light
saving of ten million dollars a year.
Usually the filaments are wound into
a coil, but in this lamp the coil is
wound 335 turns to the inch into very
small coils, and then the coil itself is
wound into another coil 70 times to the
inch, and stretched between two lead-
in wires instead of forming the present
semi-circle.

Tf man's voice were as powerful for
his size as that of the tree frog, he
could be heard from eastern Wash-
ington state to New York City, accord-
ing to Science Service.

TTo eliminate the crackle and rustle of
■*■ ordinary paper an almost noiseless
paper has been developed for sound
studios.

Tn stead of many strand barbed wire
* fences, animals can now be kept
fenced with a single strand electric
fence. Touching the strand gives a
shock sufficient to discourage an animal
from going through, yet will not injure
it or humans.

/Centralization of the fight on cancer
^ will be possible with the three-
quarters of a million dollar National
Cancer Institute, appropriated by Con-
gress.

A puncture-proof inner tube
** made by putting a layer of plastic
self-sealing composition on the inside
of the tube. A puncturing object can
be removed and the holes will self-seal
without loss of air.

/^lass frying pans can now be used.
^-* A new variety of Pyrex type glass
has been developed which resists heat
so well that it can be used directly in
contact with the flame.

By FRANKLIN S. HARRIS, JR.

VKTindow panels comparable to stain-
"' ed glass are afforded by a new
translucent marble. Taking advantage
of the crystalline make-up of marble,
and by proper selecting and cutting,
the interior structure of the marble can
be shown. Ordinary light bulbs may
be used for novel effects with fixtures
or interior walls.

man beings. Alfalfa gives good results
in counteracting scurvy. It is unusually
high in minerals.

Alfalfa has been found by South
''*' African biologists to make an ex-
cellent and palatable vegetable for hu-

A device to be attached to a type-
**""* writer makes from one to four
duplicate copies appear as originals,
by using extra ribbons built into the
machine. Another innovation is a
white typewriter ribbon using aluminum
for ink making possible typing clearly
on blue prints or other dark colored
paper.

Ironrife

The Double
Utility Ironer

"J aim But §hh pwm

Buy a New Modern
£hdbuc

Ironrife

IRONING MACHINE

SCHOSS

ELECTRIC CO.

Ogden, Brigham City. Tremonton, Utah.
Malad, Idaho

QUALITY

APPLIANCE shop

45 West Broadway— Salt Lake City, Ut.

For iurther information call or write Gordon E. Wilkins. Factory Representative,
3100 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, Calif.

703

General Offices Y. M. M. I. A.

SO NORTH MAIN STREET
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

General Offices Y. W. M. I. A.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
33 BISHOP'S BUILDING

-o^.

Y. M. M. I. A. ANNOUNCES
NEW FIELD SUPERVISION
PLAN

"\17ith inauguration of the fall and
™ " winter season in the Y. M. M. I.
A. a new plan of organization, moti-
vation, and field supervision of the
Scout, Explorer and M Men pro-
gram has become effective. Under this
plan a Church-wide program is to be
conducted in cooperation with the
Presiding Bishopric and the Sunday
Schools which is designed to bring new
vitality and interest in Church activity
to every young man and boy in the
Church.

The new Scout-Explorer plan in-
cludes some organization changes which
place full responsibility for committee
work as well as program promotion
with Y. M. M. I. A. officers of stakes
and wards. Aaronic Priesthood officers,
who have in a number of stakes for
several years cooperated in Scout and
Explorer committee work, are now to
be relieved of detailed responsibility
in Scouting in order that their efforts
may be devoted to Priesthood quorum
supervision through the Aaronic Priest-
hood correlation plan, which includes
groups representing Aaronic Priest-
hood, Sunday School, and Y. M. M. I.
A. The full cooperation of Priesthood
leaders is to be maintained.

The supervision plan for Scouting,
which includes Explorers, is to include
strengthening of contacts with Na-
tional, Regional, and Local Council
Scout Executives, frequent surveys of
conditions affecting L. D. S. boys in
Scouting, and active promotion of the
wider use of the Scout program. The
aim is to have every L. D. S. boy in
Scouting.

A conference with Scout Executives
in the central Church area, which has
already been held, a survey of each
council by the Scout Executive, and
a survey of each stake through the
stake superintendents were the first
steps in the campaign.

More intensive supervision and ad-
ditional field work among M Men or-
ganizations are also important parts
of the new plan. More frequent con-
tacts with district and stake M Men
supervisors, plans for increasing in-
terest in Master M Men activities and
the use of the athletic program to build
class attendance and activity are con-
templated under the new plan.

M Men schools in each of the thir-
teen districts of the Church and a series

704

of special Scout-Explorer promotion
meetings in various parts of the Church
are now under way in accordance with
the new plans.

John D. Giles has been designated as
Field Supervisor for the Y. M. M. I. A.
— with special assignments to the M
Men, Explorer and Scout departments,
and Era and Publicity.

John D. Giles enters the duties of this
new position with a lifetime of qualify-
ing experience behind him. In com-
mercial fields he has distinguished
himself in advertising, promotion, and
selling activities. He has long been
identified as an eminently well quali-
fied "boys' man" in ward and stake

JOHN D. GILES, FIELD SUPERVISOR
OF Y. M. M. I. A.

activities where for years he has done
notable service in Scouting, Aaronic
Priesthood, and M. I. A. work. In
the Eighteenth Ward and Ensign Stake
he has been a ward and stake superin-
tendent of Y. M. M. I. A., ward
Aaronic Priesthood leader, and stake
high councilman.

He studied at the Brigham Young
University, and after working in the
business office of the Deseret News for
five years established an advertising
agency, the first in Salt Lake City.
He was for fifteen years superintend-
ent of the Y. M. M. I. A. in the Ensign
Stake. He helped to establish the
fathers' and sons' outings and the M
Men movement. He has devoted the
past twenty-four years to Boy Scout
work and is chairman of the organiza-
tion committee of the Salt Lake Boy
Scout Council. He is executive secre-
tary of the Utah Pioneer Trails and
Landmarks Association and a member

of the executive board of the Oregon
Trail Association. He has photo-
graphed scenes along nearly all of
the Mormon Pioneer route from Nau-
voo to Salt Lake City and gath-
ered history for the erection of a large
number of monuments erected along
historic trails and sites connected with
the history of the Church and the de-
velopment of the western states. He
is the author of a number of magazine
articles relating to these subjects.

The new Field Supervisor came to
the General Board of the Y. M. M.
I. A. in 1929 and has earned much
prestige in Church-wide circles as a
"boys man" since that time.

LET'S GO TO MUTUAL

'"Phis phrase has caught fire and is
■* spreading all over the Church. Peo-
ple are saying it throughout Utah,
Idaho, California, and the other states
and missions of the United States and
in England, Germany, Scandinavia,
and in other foreign missions.

This is the way they say it in Den-
mark:

Lad os goa til Ungdomsmode.

And in Sweden:

Kom med oss till Utbildnings foreningen.

And in Norway:

La oss ga pa Ungdoms mote.

And this is the way they might say
it in Germany:

Wir Gehen Nach G. F. V.

Let us use this phrase in salutation
to each other as we meet in the home,
on the street, at school, at business.
The very saying of it will make us
want to go to Mutual and when we
get there the program is so delightful
that we are sure to continue our at-
tendance.

ARE YOUR COMMUNITY
ACTIVITY COMMITTEES
ORGANIZED?

A completely organized community
•^ activity committee, with two en-
ergetic counselors as chairmen and
well-qualified directors in the various
activities as members, is one of the
most important factors in insuring suc-
cess in the M. I. A. program. Ward
officers, if you have not already done
so, make every effort to place on this
committee directors in music and dra-
ma and dancing and in any other of
the subjects you are taking up; espe-
cially the subjects being considered on
the Assembly Programs. This com-
mittee has a fine piece of work out-
lined for this year and a real oppor-
tunity to enrich the lives of M. I. A.
members. The reward in self-educa-
tion and satisfaction in building up the
entire organization will be great.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

A HOBBY EXCHANGE

T-Jow would you like a Hobby Page
A in the Era each month? A page
where you could describe the thing
that you are doing that gives you so
much joy and cultural uplift and where
you could read what other people are
doing all over the Church? If you
would enjoy such a page, indicate it
by sending at once a brief, clear,
snappy description of your especial
hobby. Sign your name and tell where
you live. We shall be governed in
the publication by the number of re-
sponses, the character of the hobby,
and the interest of the description.

DRAMA

A ll reports indicate the most general
■*^ satisfaction with our 1937-38 Book
of Plays that we have yet had. You
will find a very interesting group of
plays, from the simple comedies — which
beginners can do — to big drama, call-
ing for the best efforts of your most
talented people. We are publish-
ing this year individual copies of
each of the eight plays contained in the
volume. The ward must purchase at
least one copy of the Book of Plays
to entitle them to produce any one of
the plays contained therein. Indi-
vidual copies may then be obtained for
members of the cast of the particular
play being presented. Call your ward
directors together and decide on some
method of procedure in the exchange
of plays by the wards, leading up to
your stake Drama Festival.

DANCING

'""Inhere may be all the trappings of

A pleasure — rose color, gilt, tinsel,
plush draperies, but despite all these,
there is too frequently little spon-
taneity, little variety, no play, no mirth.
The modern dance is essentially a
dance for two and too often is not
social. The two-some convention al-
lows no opening out to sociability and
friendliness. It is usually stiff, formal,
and unimaginative." So says Maria
Ward Lamkin, as a result of her care-
ful survey of dance halls throughout
the country.

Our M. I. A. is doing much to do
away with some of the undesirable
situations mentioned above, notably
non-sociability, by introducing into our
church parties group dancing and other
means of developing friendliness and
sociability.

We are also probably making history
greater than we know by gathering
something definite out of the chaos of
modern dancing and giving uniformity
of form, step and style to the Fox Trot
and Waltz, by establishing "official"
dances to be danced in every church
dancing party. This will at least carry
over to the oncoming generations some
definite knowledge of the dances of
this generation as we have knowledge
of the dances of the past generation.

It is hoped that all directors have

begun to teach the M. I. A. dances, the
"Aloha Oe" Fox Trot, the "Gleam"
Waltz and the "Gold and Green
Caprice." Your dancing parties will
be much better by reason of it. Let's
have a hundred thousand dancing these
dances by Christmas and make of it one
of the greatest dance movements in the
world.

Axel A. Madsen and Emily C. Adams, Chairmen;
Richard L. Evans, Dr. L. A. Stevenson, Grace C
Neslen, Laura P. Nicholson, Aurelia Bennlon.

ENLISTMENT

T-Tere it is November 1st and six
A A weeks since the fall opening. By
this time, every Adult member of the
ward should be in the class or should
be accounted for. If this is not the
case, get a list of the adult membership
from the ward clerk and visit each
one. Mutual work has such a broad
scope that there should be something
to appeal to each person. Help each
one to find it!

EVENING SOCIAL

"Drother Oscar A. Kirkham tells of
'■■' a friend of his who was visiting
America, studying American life. What
he considered typical of that life, he
found one evening when he was in-
vited to a home with a group. There
he saw the group of friends gathered
around the fireside, eating together,
singing together, playing together, and
talking together of principles rather
than of personalities or things. When
one is with a group of this kind, how
can he help feeling the spirit of friend-
liness, cooperation, and growth.

BOOKS, BOOKS

TT7e'd like to encourage much read-
^* ing this winter. Of course, it
would be well to start upon the read-
ing course book, The Return To Relig-
ion, but while one member of the class
is reading that book, if you are merely
passing it around, another could read
Utah Sings, or one of the other splen-
did books suggested in the Manual.
A liberal education awaits those who
will set aside some time for reading.

When you have read a book, report
it to your stake leader and then we'd
like the stake leader to report to us.
We're going to give everybody who
reads all of the books a right big
credit mark. We'll call such readers
successful travelers along the friendly
road to an education.

Don't overlook the fact that The
Improvement Era contains some rich
material. The writer of these notes,
as soon as the October number came,
sat down and read the entire grist of
poems. He was very well paid. Isn't
"My Velvet Gown,' by Zara Sabin, a
delightful, old-fashioned ballad type
of verse? Linnie Fisher Robinson's
two little spots on the "Homing" page
both have sweet memories in them.

All who have visited the Star Valley
cheese factory and many others will
enjoy "Star Valley and Swiss Cheese."
In fact, the Era brings us many things
of interest as well as importance. You
will do a fine thing, perhaps, if you
will take a few minutes for an exchange
of "Eraettes."

Stnlou

Dr. L. L. Daines and Charlotte Stewart, Chairmen;
H. R. Merrill, Dr. George H. Hansen, Lucy W.
Smith, Hazel Brockbank, Vida F. Clawson, Polly
R. Hardy.

Cince the socialization of the Senior
^ Group is our project, several of
the wards have been thinking up ways
to do it. One ward has used the Boy
Scout plan for formulating "patrols '
among the Seniors. These groups have
come together on a common interest
basis and are having some good times
on the "patrol" basis.

Such a plan is effective where the
Senior Group is too large to be well
accommodated in a home. Of course,
such wards will have larger parties
in the amusement hall or elsewhere
where the patrols may come together
and thus socialize the entire class.

We shall be glad to hear of any
plan that has really worked in the
wards. Senior Leaders, will you not
kindly have your scribe send in ac-
counts of what you are doing? We'd
like to know and pass on the good
word to other groups.

Frank W. McGhie, Chairman: Floyd G. Eyre.
Dr. F. S. Harris, Homer C. Warner, Werner
Kiepe, Dr. Wayne B. Hales.

I^ore completely to inform all stake
■*■"■ and ward officers and teachers
associated with M Men of the many
details of the varied programs of ac-
tivities, the M Men committee of the
General Board has scheduled insti-
tutes to be held in the thirteen M Men
districts of the Church. Beginning on
October 10, at Richfield, Utah, the
entire committee accompanied by Gen-
eral Superintendent George Q. Morris,
conducted the first of these institutes.
The dates for the other districts are
as follows:

October 17, District No. 3 at Ogden;
District No. 10 at Los Angeles; October
24, District No. 12 at Phoenix; October
31, District No. 4 at Logan; November
7, District No. 6 at Provo; November 14,
District No. 5 at Montpelier; November
21, District No. 8 at Twin Falls; District
No. 13 at Cardston, Canada; November
28, District No. 2 at Cedar City; Decem-
ber 12, District No. 11 at San Francisco.
Dates for District No. 7 at Pocatello and
District No. 9 at Salt Lake City will be
announced later.

Meetings will be held at 9:30 a. m.
(Continued on page 706)

705

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

(Continued from page 705)
and at 1 :30 p. m. at which time com-
plete discussions will be given on the
following subjects:

( 1 ) Organization, ( 2 ) Membership,

(3) Joint M Men-Gleaner Activities,

(4) Separate M Men Activities, (5)
Manual and Teaching, (6) Athletics
and the Care of the Athlete, (7) Fi
nance of the M Men Program, (8'
Cultural and Spiritual Activities, (9
Election of Officers for 1937-38.

Helen S. Williams, Chairman: Erma Roland, Ann
M. Cannon, Rose W. Bennett, Katie C. Jensen.

TO GLEANER LEADERS:

'T'his is to be your corner, where you
■*■ may bring your questions pertain-
ing to Gleaner work. Won't you write
us telling of your hopes and plans, your
accomplishments as this year goes for-
ward?

Besides the 118 stakes in the Church
there are missions all carrying forward
this same great Y. W. M. I. A. work,
and in writing to this corner, your
questions, your answers, may help some
far distant Gleaner group, so let us
hear from you. Address your letters
to The Gleaner Committee, c/o Y. W.
M. I. A., 40 North Main.

Our first letter comes from Canada
and reads:

The Gleaner Girls of Barnwell Ward,
Lethbridge Stake, wish to send greetings
to Gleaners everywhere. Though but a
small group, we are very much interested
and we have made our summer work one
■of the highlights of vacation time. We hope
■other Gleaners have enjoyed the summer as
we have.

Ever since school stopped in the spring
we have held our Gleaner meetings nearly
every week. We had not finished our
lessons when Mutual stopped so we have
•continued them during our summer meet-
ings, holding them at the home of one of
our members who has been bedfast, and
therefore would have been unable to get to
any Church services at all, had we not held
•our class at her home.

Recently, having a little money in the
treasury from our winter activities, we
bought Gleaner pins, division sheets, covers,
pedigree and picture charts, and postcards
of Ruth the Gleaner for our "Treasures of
Truth," about which we are very enthusi-
astic. We also surprised our sick member
by a little token of our love.

The night that we gave her our present
our lesson on Testimonies came. We hope
that every Gleaner Class followed the sug-
gestion given in the Manual for having a
testimony meeting after the lesson, for that
is what we did, and we all feel that we
'have never enjoyed anything so much.
All came to the meeting fasting, and after
the lesson had been given, each bore her
testimony. Three ladies whom we had
invited to attend our meeting, spoke to us
first; and then each of the girls rose to her
feet voluntarily and said a few words.
There was a most wonderful spirit pres-
ent. Girls who had never borne their
testimonies before did so that night, and all
felt that the Lord was indeed with us.

After testimony meeting a little social
"was held, each girl having contributed some-

706

thing to the light lunch that was served.
Altogether it made a very outstanding
evening that none of us will ever forget.

Barnwell Gleaners.

Dear Girls of Barnwell Ward — We
were delighted to hear from you and
now we find ourselves hoping that
your same splendid planning will carry
over into your winter's work. Are
you all organized for the year with a
Gleaner Girl president, vice president,
secretary, and treasurer? There is such
a big year ahead for your officers —
the joint responsibility of conducting
with the M Men on the first Tuesday
of each month, the ten minutes at the
beginning of each Tuesday night for
your committee appointments, librarian
reports on the reading course books,
and the planning for your ward ac-
tivities. Do let us hear from you again
and tell us how everything is going up
there in Canada. And we are wishing
that every Gleaner officer who reads
your letter will make time for testi-
mony meetings and their Treasure of
Truth books. Good luck and may you
be blessed in your undertakings.

Gleaner Committee.

A Gleaner leader sends the follow-
ing inquiry:
To the Gleaner Committee:

I am a Gleaner leader wondering what
I am to do when I have only six girls,
the only six in my ward. Our conditions
are such that to carry out the entire Gleaner
plan is impossible. Can you offer any
solution? What shall we do? Just take
part of it, and do it well or try to carry
out everything as programmed?

A Ward Gleaner Teacher.

To Gleaner Teacher:

By all means, simplify the program
to meet your needs. Draw from the
suggestions given in the Manual those
phases of the Gleaner plan which will
help you most to reach the five ob-
jectives of Gleaner work, which, of
course, you know are:

1. To know and live L. D. S. prin-
ciples.

2. To establish normal social adjust-
ments.

3. To develop ward and stake loy-
alty.

4. To train for leadership.

5. To prepare for eternal marriage.
Keep the spirit of wholesome fun

and happiness alive in your Gleaner
work above all. Success to you.

Gleaner Committee.

Tt is gratifying to the M Men-Gleaner
Girl committee that so many en-
thusiastic reports are coming in, re-
garding the conjoint program. Work-
ing together, studying together, and
planning conjointly is found to be the
fun we anticipated. Co-education has
proved itself to be the right type of
education to develop the finer things
that help to make life more enjoyable
and complete. For the young men and

the young women of the Church to de-
velop their program on a partnership
basis is in keeping with the kind of
education that has developed where
boys and girls work and play together.
From the field have come the following
reports :

The M Men in this stake have found out
that we have to be on our toes, to keep up
with the young ladies in our work, — the
experience is interesting however and we
are having lots of fun.

We didn't realize how much more inter-
esting the class discussions could be with
the young men present.

The young people of our M Men-Gleaner
department are pairing off with each other
as never before; we feel that the conjoint
program has brought this about.

A little team work on the part of
the M Men teacher and the Gleaner
Girl instructor has been found to be
conducive to an enthusiastic, interest-
ing class. One report told of a par-
ticular ward where the young men's
teacher and the young women's teacher
take turns in giving the lesson. These
two teachers have an understanding
that each will do his best to enrich each
other's lesson. When it is the Gleaner
teacher's turn to give the lesson the
Young Men's teacher also makes a
thorough preparation and does all he
can to add supplementary material. The
young women do the same thing for
the young men. That is what we call
teamwork with a capital T! It would
be difficult for a class discussion to lag
with this kind of cooperation.

This fine spirit of cooperation is
bound to carry over into the other
parts of the program this winter. The
banquet and the Gold and Green ball
and other activities are all conjoint
activities with responsibility equally
divided.

Never before has there been such
an enthusiastic response to the read-
ing course books. Every Gleaner-M
Men class should have a librarian who
lends these two fine books to the
class members so that all will have an
opportunity to read them. The books
are How to Win Friends and Influence
People, by Dale Carnegie, and Step A
Little Higher, by John Henry Evans.

SUGGESTIVE M MEN-GLEANER
SUNDAY NIGHT CONJOINT
PROGRAM

1 — M Men-Gleaner Chorus.

2 — Prayer, Gleaner Girl.

3 — Solo, M Men or Gleaner.

4 — Advantages of discussing "Youths' Op-
portunities with Youth."
10 Minute Talk, M Men Leader.

5 — "Why Should Gleaners and M Men
Participate in Their Activities Togeth-
er?" Gleaner Leader.

6 — "The Living of the Master M Men
Code, Makes Me a More Suitable Com-
panion for a Gleaner Girl," by M Man.

7 — "The Living of the Gleaner Sheaf
Helps Me To Be Worthy of An M
Man's Companionship," by a Gleaner
Girl.

8 — M Men and Gleaner Chorus.

9 — Closing prayer, by an M Man.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

umiou

Marba C. Josephson, Chairman; Martha G. Smith,
Emily H. Higgs, Catherine Folsom, Sarah R.
Cannon.

/^•HICAGO stake offers this suggestion
^ for our question box — an airplane,
and airmail letters. And, may we add
■ — answers to the letters, over station
J. G.

And here are some airmail letters
to you.

If you were having a dinner party,
and some of your guests came when
the meal was half over, handed you a
bouquet of flowers, and said, "Sorry,
but I have other things to do. Your
meal looks delicious, but I must be run-
ning along," what would you think and
how would you feel? What is your
opinion of this kind of action at reli-
gious gatherings? May we suggest a
campaign for this as a substitute.
"Thanks so much for the opportunity.
I shall be glad to sing for you some
other time, but tonight I am singing in
my own ward, and I would rather stay
for the entire service."

How can Junior Girls live up to our
department project, "We will show
reverence for places of worship?"
"Men are that they might have joy."
But can you find anywhere a statement
like this: "Thou shalt enjoy thyself
regardless of any detriment it will do
thine own character; of any annoyance
it will cause thy neighbor; of any dis-
respect it will show to sacred places
and things?" Or, "I am so glad I am
early again tonight. I shall have a few
moments to meditate in this sacred place
before the crowd gathers. I wonder
how the Lord felt when this building
was dedicated to Him? I do hope we
can keep the same sweet spirit always
here that was present the day the
church house was dedicated. Here
comes the organist. Oh! hello, Mary
Lou. Come sit by me and listen to
this preliminary music. Is your mother
better? That's fine. Isn't Mutual
grand?"

We have launched, at different
times, two slogans relative to the Sab-
bath and a weekly half-holiday; and
we stand for spiritual growth through
attendance at sacrament meetings. The
sacrament meeting is the most impor-
tant meeting in the Church for us wom-
en folk. What will you do for yourself
and for others in your department to
help us live up to this opportunity and
responsibility?

Consider these letters. Decide which
apply to your group. Help plan for
progress. Do something about your
plan. Rejoice in the results.

Continued, consistent effort will get
us farther toward the star we have
hitched our wagon to, than will spurts
of enthusiasm.

Two Brothers

D. E. Hammond, Chairman: Philo T. Farnsworth.
Arthur E. Peterson.

HThe Boy Scout program is a valuable
adjunct to the character-building
influences offered in our Mutual Im-
provement Association work. Where
leadership is ample and appropriate,
fortunate indeed are the boys who be-
long. Where leadership is weak or
vascillating, the program cannot be
effective. Now that school has started
and the M. I. A. is functioning at its
best, some attention should be given
to the improvement of troop leadership.

In most Scout councils leadership
training courses are being offered.
These should not be overlooked. A
trained leader means better scouting
and consequently better boys in the
Church.

Many boys of Scout age are not yet
being reached by scouting. This is
the time of the year to initiate member-
ship drives. The boys who have re-
cently reached their twelfth birthdays,
the dropped Scouts, and the boys who
have never had the urge or desire to
join scouting should be singled out,
contacted, and urged to enroll. After
these boys become members every ef-
fort should be made to hold them. If
the leadership is efficient and the real
scouting program is applied there need
be little fear of losing a single member.

In M. I. A. organizations where co-
operation exists, reasonable effort
made, and encouragement given,
scouting usually succeeds.

Melchizedek
Priesthood

(Concluded from page 700)

blind leaders of the blind, and said
unto them:

"For judgment I am come into this
world, that they which see not might
see; and that they which see might be
made blind."

"And some of the Pharisees which
were with him heard these words, and
said unto Him, Are we blind also?

"Jesus said unto them, If ye were
blind ye should have no sin; but now
ye say, We see; therefore your sin
remaineth."

The members of the Church who
heard the inspired words of President
Heber J. Grant during the conference,
and the members unto whom these
words shall come, cannot henceforth
rise up and say they have ignorantly
sinned in relation to these great com-
mandments. No officer of the Church,
whether he is appointed to officiate in
the callings of the Priesthood or the
auxiliary organizations, from this day
forth can rise up and make a valid ex-
cuse for disobeying the commandment
to keep the Word of Wisdom, or fail

(Concluded from page 683)

Pain was in both faces. A knowl-
edge of that awful God-kinship be-
tween them! What similarity! What
contrast! Compassion in one — de-
spair in the other! Triumph and
defeat! Salvation and damnation!
Love and hate! Good and evil!

Together, wordless, they survey-
ed the jagged field. The pensive
silence was eloquent.

The mockery of a smile bit like
acid into Satan's somber, malevolent
face. The Savior's clear eyes shad-
owed as he looked upon his brother,
the outcast, the homeless one. He
who had once been upon the holy
mountain of God and had walked
up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire! And now he reigned
alone in a world of his own creation,
the angel of the Bottomless Pit!

An eerie glow like dawn shone
forth from the whiteness of Christ.
A soft radiance fell, and, in the
light, the face of Lucifer looked old
and infinitely tired.

Something intangible was in the
air. An emotion beyond the com-
prehension of man hovered there.
It was as though each strove to
reach over the abyss of time. To*
realize again the harmony of their
creation. Memory cried out like a
weird strain from some unearthly,
ethereal place. And then as it had
come like strange music, so it left..

The screaming again. The flash-
ing! The naming! I was sinking
. . . sinking . . . and then I pressed
my eyes tight shut to Keep out the
millions of fire-specks dancing there.

Wings thrummed. Deep, resound-
ing roars shook the earth. Cool
fingers of rain stroked my face. I
opened my eyes.

They were gone! And the battle-
field was left to struggling human-
ity and to the wind which sighed
and moaned like a woman over the
blood, the bones, and the broken
flesh.

to observe the Sabbath day and keep-
it holy, or refuse to pay his honest
tithes and offerings.

It is the duty of the men who are
called to preside in the quorums of the
Priesthood to see that these admoni-
tions and commandments are laid be-
fore the members of the quorums, and
that they are properly and sufficiently
taught. Every person in the Church
who loves the truth and desires to obey
its precepts, will rejoice and turn to*
the Lord with renewed faith and keep
every covenant and commandment.

— /. F. S.

707

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

Log of a European Tour

(Continued from page 697)

August 29, 1937

We left our hotel yesterday
morning soon after eight and were
at the station for some time waiting
for the train. We were not able to
reserve seats on the train so we went
early to get good seats. We were
not in compartments this time. The
cars are narrower than ours at
home; the aisle is at the side of the
seat for two, and then on the other
side is a single seat. We occupied
the double seats and three men the
single ones. Opposite us was a nice
looking Japanese gentleman.

We went up 4,000 feet to reach
the summit and were above the tim-
ber line. Here the vegetation was
very scarce and the rocky tops of
the mountains bare of green. We
came quite close to a glacier, and
it reminded us of the glaciers in
Alaska. We could see the deep blue
coloring. As we came down we rode
into very high mountains, and for
many miles along the banks of a
large fjord. It was a most magnifi-
cent view to see the towering, thickly
wooded mountains extending down
into the water. The water was so
clear it acted as a mirror and the
mountains looked as if they went
down into the water.

When we arrived at Bergen there
was a goodly group of people, mis-
sionaries and Saints, who welcomed
us. The city nestles right down at
the side of a high mountain.

The meeting tonight was a splen-
did one. The house was crowded

OLD TYPE TELEPHONE-MAGNETO WALL SET—
A FAMILIAR OBJECT OF THE NINETEENTH
CENTURY. (FOR THE MODERN VERSION SEE
PAGE 726.)

and many people stood during the
entire service. As in Oslo, all the
ladies of the choir were dressed in
white.

Father spoke for a little over an
hour and we were all delighted with
his sermon. He seemed to speak
with great ease and the interpreter
did well, so the brethren who un-
derstood told us. We have held
tonight the last scheduled public
meeting. Twenty-four days have
passed since we left London for the
Scandinavias and tonight as we
reflect on the activities of these
three weeks we are filled with sat-
isfaction. Our meetings have been
well attended, the newspapers have
published friendly material, the

Let LONG DISTANCE
Round out [the Family Circle

Is there some one in your family who
hasn't been home for a long time? Per-
haps a youngster away at school ... a son or daugh-
ter married and living out of town ... a husband off
on a business trip.

They have good news and cheer for you — just as you
have for them. And wouldn't it do them a
lot of good to hear the sound of your voice?

The Mountain States Telephone
& Telegraph Company . . .

people have extended every cour-
tesy and given us every considera-
tion. The scenery and weather have
united in making their contributions
of beauty and so we all feel happy
over this trip and are assured that
the Church will profit by father's
visit.

Tuesday, August 31, 1937
YESTERDAY morning Saints and
Elders were at the docks to see
us off. The weather was ideal, all
the clouds and mists of the day hav-
ing cleared away and all was pro-
pitious for a pleasant voyage. As
we were standing on the ship Venus,
waiting for it to pull out, someone
suggested that father sing "O Ye
Mountains High." He sang all the
verses, and we on the ship and the
missionaries and a few of the Saints
standing on the shore, joined in the
last part of each stanza. Then all
sang the chorus of "Carry On," we
on the ship singing in English and
those on the shore singing in Nor-
wegian. As the ship began to move
away the strains of "We Thank
Thee, O God, For a Prophet," came
up from the group on the shore.
There was a calling of goodbye,
handkerchief waving, and the ship
turned slowly, and we were out of
sight of those people who had wel-
comed us so heartily and done all
in their power to show their appre-
ciation of father's visit.

Today has been spent on the
train. We arrived at Newcastle,
England, about 8 a. m. and were
there about an hour and a half be-
fore we left the boat. We had to
show our passports a few times, have
our baggage inspected, and then
were at liberty to take the train.

London, Wednesday,
September 1, 1937
HPonight we had an M. I. A. meet-
ing with the mission board and
the Elders who were interested in
the work. There has been some
very good M. I. A. work done here
in this mission and we were happy
over the bright outlook for the work
this winter.

Thursday, September 2, 1937
HPoday we have been shopping
again, and visiting some places
of interest. The whole party ate
lunch at Cheshire Cheese Inn.
This is a famous inn where Dickens,
Johnson, Boswell, and many other
notables came to eat and drink their
glasses of beer. This building was
rebuilt in 1669 and has been prac-
tically the same since then. We
were shown the seats where Dick-
ens and Johnson always sat. There
is a copy of Johnson's first diction-

708

J fa CMvu/dtiiJiM

When The Improvement Era

started upon its career forty
years ago, under the capable
and aggressive business man-
agement of Heber J. Grant,
more than a score of loyal and
enterprising national an d
western institutions gave their
support through the advertis-
ing columns of the first vol-
ume.. Of those whose names
appeared in the Era then, sev-
eral have survived the two-
score years of change and are
represented in this Fortieth
Anniversary Issue, among
them —

Denver & Rio Grande Western....

Inside Back Cover

H. Dinwoodey Furniture Co 726

Heber J. Grant & Co. (Utah

Home Fire Ins.) 719

Union Pacific Railroad (Oregon

Short Line) 664

Z. C. M. 1 657

Zion's Savings Bank & Trust Co.~659

To the advertisers of forty
years ago, and to all the pro-
gressive and fore-sighted in-
stitutions that have come into
our pages since that time, the
editorial and business man-
agement of The Improvement
Era extends appreciation for
the Era and for its great host
of Churchwide readers.

Amalgamated Sugar Company..721
Beneficial Life Insurance Com-
pany Back Cover

Bintz, W. H. Co 722

Brigham Young University 722

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy

Railroad Co 658

Deseret Book Company 726

Deseret News Press 720

Eureka Vacuum Cleaner Co. 722

Ford Motor Company 718

Ghirardelli Company 709

Hotel Utah, The 723

KSL Radio Station 715

L. B. Hair Oil 716

L. D. S. Business College 717

Mountain Fuel Supply Company..713
Mountain States Telephone &

Telegraph Co 708

New Hotel Lankershim 658

Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Co..725

Panama Pacific Line 710

Pembroke Company 658

Polk, R. L 722

Quish School of Beauty Culture..726

R. & A. C. Institute 722

Royal Baking Company 712

Royal Typewriter Company 724

Salt Lake Stamp Company 716

Shell Oil Co Inside Front Cover

Tri-State Lumber Company 714

Utah Engraving Co 722

Utah-Idaho School Supply Co...720

Utah Oil Refining Co 662

Utah Poultry Producers' Asso-
ciation 727

Utah Power & Light Co 661

Walker Bank & Trust Co 711

Western Royal Vacuum Cleaner
Co 716

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

Log of a European Tour

ary. It consists of two volumes,
each one as large as our dictionary,
some first editions of Dickens'
works, pictures, chinaware, and
other relics of the past. The man-
agement tries to keep up the tavern
just as it was three hundred years
ago. They use willowware china
on quaint old salt and pepper shak-
ers and serve their famous beef and
kidney pie on plates of the same
pattern.

After leaving Cheshire Cheese
Inn we visited the home of Samuel
Johnson. This house has been a
museum for about forty years. The
guide, a delightful lady and an
ardent admirer of Johnson, gave us
a feeling for Johnson that we never
had before. His family life and his
great humanitarian qualities were
emphasized. She told of his caring
for hundreds of poor people and
for thirty years keeping in his home
a blind woman who was no relation
and who was so disagreeable that
he often had to bribe the maids to
stay and care fof her.

We went from room to room
where furniture and pictures and
bric-a-brac were just as it was in
his day. We were taken into the
attic where he did his writing and
where his wife never came to dis-
turb him.

Friday, September 3, 1937

\\7"e are all quite excited tonight
and have been humming "And
It's Home Again, Home Again,
America For Me," several times to-
day. Our last day in London has
been spent by father in visiting news-
paper men and steamship company
officers, counseling with Brother Ly-
man, writing in books for the Elders,
a visit to the Kew Gardens, the most
famous of all botanical gardens in
the world, and lastly being enter-
tained by Brother and Sister Ly-
man. Sister Beesley and I, guided
by Sister Ramona Cannon, visited
two art galleries, the Tate and Wal-
lace; walked around the Parliament
buildings and out over the Thames
River. We looked longingly at
Westminster Abbey. Our one dis-
appointment was not being able to
go into the Abbey. It has been
closed to the public ever since the
Coronation of King George, so we
are among those hundreds of thou-
sands who have been on the out-
side.

Tonight we rode around on the
upper deck of a bus, looking and
looking for the last time. We stop-
ped at Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly,

(Continued on page 710)

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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

tfOMY*****1*

■ .." . . ....'■' ■ ■ . ■ ■■ .

25% ROUND-TRIP
RATE REDUCTION NOW
Decide to come this month! Tourist
Cabin from $125. First Class from
$225 ($250 at certain seasons). Save
25% round trip by steamer. "Circle
Tours" by rail and water starting from
your own home town; go either way
by steamer. Also steamer-plane tours.

To New York via Acapulco,

Mexico, Panama, Havana

What other way of travel can compare
now winter comes? "Big 3" liners — S.S.
California, Virginia, Pennsylvania — are
most popular coast to coast. Giant size
gives them extra smoothness. The cuisine
is matchless (dining salons are air-con-
ditioned). All staterooms outside, with
beds. Each ship has two open air swim
pools, complete facilities for sport, rest,
entertainment, care of children. Panama
Pacific hospitality attends you every
hour of your voyage. En route to New
York (a 2 -week cruise) there's plenty of
sight-seeing time ashore at tropic ports.

Write, ask your Travel Agent, or call —

Panama Pacific Line

DOuglas 8680 — 665 Market St., San Francisco;

American Express Co., 26 W. Second South St.,

Salt Lake City, or any Railroad Agent

Log of a European Tour

(Continued from page 709)
rode down the Mall, and walked
over the Thames again.

Saturday, September 4, 1937
"\X7e were all up early this morning
and ready long before time to
go to the station. Brother Lyman
called at the hotel for us and when
we reached the station President
and Sister Clark, President and Sis-
ter Lyman, many of the mission-
aries and some of the Saints were
there to say goodbye. There was
the usual snapping of cameras,
messages to loved ones at home, and
finally as the time for the train to
pull out arrived, the Elders and
Saints gathered in a group and sang
"God Be With You Till We Meet
Again." Just as the train was pull-
ing out they all sang "We Thank
Thee, O God, For a Prophet."

Brother Lyman went with us as
far as Southampton, where we
boarded the boat, The Empress of
Britain. Mr. J. A. Martin, the man-
ager of the Canadian Steamship
Company, came on the boat to wish
father goodbye, and suggested that
anything that could be done for his
pleasure or convenience would be
done. Brother Lyman was in-
vited to stay to lunch and was the
guest of the Steamship Company.
Brother Lyman suggested to the
waiter that he call him in plenty of
time so that he could leave the ship,
which he said he would do. At five
minutes after one we began to notice
the boat moving a little, and upon
getting up we discovered that we
were drawing away from the shore.
The waiter had miscalculated the
time and so Brother Lyman was
still on board. Arrangements were
made with the ship's officers to have
the tug come up alongside of the
vessel and take Brother Lyman
ashore. In about twenty minutes
the tug came up alongside of the
ship, the gangplank was dropped
and Brother Lyman stepped on
to the tug. We called goodbye and
we all waved our handkerchiefs,
he doing the same from the tug. We
watched until his boat turned into
the harbor.

Wednesday, September 8, 1937
TThe voyage thus far has not been

very rough, but father and I
have both thought it the better part
of wisdom to remain in our cabins.
We are looking forward to landing
tomorrow, and then our tour will be
practically completed. Sister Bees-
ley goes to Chicago, Sister Bennett
and Sister Wallace to New York,.
father and Brother Anderson to Salt
Lake, and I to Toronto.

(Concluded on page 712)

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

For many years before and
after the turn of the century.
this Bank occupied the build-
ing shown below, just across
Main Street from its present
lS-story building, its home
since 1912.

P R O G R E

Growth of this intermountain institution is typified
not merely in terms of stone and steel and bricks . . .
but also in scope of services, in strength of resources
and in the experience of successful management.
These are benefits offered to the customers of this
Bank. Your account is cordially invited.

WALKER BANK
& TRUST COMPANY

Salt Lake City
MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

Beginning Soon — "Reconciliations" on Vital Current Questions by Prominent Authorities.

711

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

Log of a European Tour

(Concluded from page 710)

I have purposely avoided men-
tioning many names, because so
many have helped to make our visit
pleasant, that had I mentioned all,
this log would have been but a
chronicle of names.

However, I can not close without
expressing our deep appreciation to
President Lyman who for two
months guided our party, looked
up railroad schedules, prepared
maps, and wrote letters to the mis-
sion presidents, giving the time of
arrival, the time of departure, the
number of meetings to be held, saw
that every minute of the time was
used to advantage but that father
was protected as much as possible.
He said he wanted father to leave
the mission better in every way than
when he came; he wanted this trip
to be a vacation as well as a mis-
sionary journey. And so each day
had its rest periods as well as its
meetings. We are all agreed, father
included, that Brother Lyman did
his work well because, notwith-
standing it was a strenuous trip
with many changes of trains, hotels,
and diet, father is coming home in
as good health, if not better, than

when he left; and had it not been
for Brother Lyman's generalship,
father might have returned quite
worn out. As it is, it has been so
pleasant, father is already talking
of a return trip some two or three
years hence.

And so, as an author reluctantly
lays down his pen when he has
written "The End" to a loved book,
I will close by again expressing my
appreciation for this rare opportun-
ity of accompanying my beloved
father on this memorable journey.

vl/omaris Changed vi/ond

(Concluded from page 692)

our vicious political practices. With the new leisure,
our spiritual growth should transcend all previous de-
velopment, for with this new leisure mothers have time
to instruct their children better in the Tightness and
wrongness of certain behavior.

Women have always been rightly considered the
guardians of the best in civilization. Unless they re-
gard this new leisure as an opportunity for an increas-
ing of the best and a diminishing of the worst which
the age offers, we shall find that this free time will serve
as a prelude to the downfall of our generation. If,
however, women accept the new leisure as a responsi-
bility for greater development, then they will become
active factors in the realization of the millennium to
which we are eagerly looking. — M. C. J.

Always Good

Most modern methods . . . scientific test-
ing of all ingredients . . . plus more than
40 years' experience in the art of bak-
ing, assure you that Royal bakery foods
are always good] They are favorites
with thousands of families in the inter-
mountain region.

FRESH

every day at
your grocer's

BREAD, CAKES, COOKIES

ROYAL BAKING COMPANY — SALT LAKE and OGDEN

100% Home-Owned — A Community Builder for More Than 40 Years
George Mueller, President

712

Watch for the "Era's" New Continued Story.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

THEN mid NOW

Modern Automatic

NATURAL GAS HEAT

belongs to the new age of convenience

The pictures tell a story ... a re-
markable story of progress which
closely parallels the life of The
Improvement Era.

Forty years ago only wealthy
homes could boast running water
and "modern" bathrooms. Auto-
mobiles were rich men's toys. Peo-
ple in the intermountain territory
couldn't have Natural Gas at any
price. It just wasn't available.

Today these things are so com-
mon that we scarcely give them a
thought. People of moderate
means enjoy more comforts and
conveniences than the very rich
could command a generation ago.

In the home, nothing brings
more genuine convenience and

modernness than automatic Nat-
ual Gas heat. It is as far ahead
of ordinary methods as the stream-
lined automobile is ahead of the
horse and buggy.

Natural Gas heat is the only
fully automatic method of house-
heating . . . the only method that
requires no fuel handling, no
storage space, no removing of
clinkers or ashes, no work of any
kind.

And its cost is surprisingly low.
Many users find it actually costs
less to heat their homes with Nat-
ual Gas than it formerly cost for
other methods.

If your home is not modernized
with Natural Gas heat, find out
how easily it can be done. The
new Gas furnaces provide com-
plete winter air-conditioning. In-
stalled on liberal terms. Call in
or phone for details.

MOUNTAIN FUEL1UPPLY COMPANY

36 South State

Salt Lake City
Serving Twenty-one Utah Communities

Patronize These Advertisers and Mention the "Era.'

Wasatch 1300
713

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

THE OUTLAW OF NAVAJO MOUNTAIN

ireshments on the fire, and when
those refreshments had only begun
to sizzle, a greater posse joined Oli-
ver and came through the gate.

Posey's people might stop some-
where later on, but not right there;
they must be moving. Some of them,
ravenous with hunger, gulped part
of their half-cooked victuals with
swine-like dispatch, but they threw
the rest away and piled the loads
back on their horses in a jumble.

To hold their course now to Re-
capture meant to meet the posse in
the open flat. That simply couldn't
be — it was contrary to the very first
principles of their warfare. They
would have to go back, for the
whistle of bullets admonished them
that the posse had guns as big as
their own.

"What about my brother?"
whined the second wife. "What can
we ever do without him?" and she
hesitated as if she would go on to
Recapture at all hazards.

"To h — with your brother!"
roared the distracted Posey. "It's
easier for him to come to us than
for all of us to go to him."

(Continued from page 677)

It was not possible for them to
know it that day, and certain ones
of them were to die before it could
be reported that Poke listened with
nothing but disgust to Posey's mes-
senger and then grunted, "Puneeh!
He learns no more than a skunk,
and they will kill him for making
such a big stink."

And then the old grizzly packed
up and moved farther over into
Colorado, camping near a ranch in
McElmo where he could hear from
the fight without being near enough
to be blamed or praised for the na-
ture of its outcome.

Three squaws and two papooses
were so sure that Poke was their
only hope of deliverance, that they
dropped out of the company on
Murphy Point and were later found
hiding in a cave half way to Yel-
low Jacket.

L osey and his company,
keeping out of sight behind the cab-
in, hurried west for the nearest
rocks. And there in the rim of
White-Mesa Canyon their main

snipers hid while their company
rode lash and lather down through
the rocks to cross to the west side.
His people descended into the
canyon on the lope, treading each
other's heels and jostling violently
at every turn of the trail, while Po-
sey lay, watching the little notch
in the rim from which they came
off the point, resolved to bore the
first man who appeared behind them.

At that first man, who happened
to be John D. Rogers, he let fly
with his big gun, expecting to cut
his man through the lungs from the
side. But the shot went low, it
barely grazed John's hip pocket,
pierced the tree of the saddle and
broke the back of the horse.

When the general saw the horse
drop, the rider leap from sight and
no one else appear, he craned his
neck to scan that vicinity, and inci-
dentally to look behind and to one
side. Then he discovered in the dis-
tance a car coming from town to
head his people from crossing the
road on the west side of the canyon.

[Continued on page 718)

Now! TRI-STATE offers Home Repairs
and Remodeling, on the Budget Plan ....

There is no need to wait for those needed reports or alterations to
modernize your home, because we can now arrange to finance
them for you on a new, easy payment plan.

No down payment is necessary . . . take as long as 3 years to pay.
Here is a partial list of what can be had this easy, convenient way:

• NEW ROOF •CABINETS, COUNTERS

• SLEEPING PORCH • BUILT-IN CUPBOARDS

In fact, most all repairs, remodeling or additions can be
purchased by this plan.

DON'T DELAY . . . COME IN TODAY!

Next Month George D. Pyper Continues "The Story of Our Hymns."

AGAIN EXCLUSIVE

KSL COVERAGE

WORLD SERIES FANS

' . . .. f. ' ** . •-

1 I / - •

*»-**■ %

^Mi

■1 '■ ifmmimlf

7*""| NNUALLY, thousands of baseball fans

I — I throughout the nation await "world
•J- -■- series" time. For then the year's most
closely followed sports broadcast is brought
them through the Columbia Broadcasting Sys-
tem. For many seasons, now, KSL has served
downtown sports followers exclusively
through cooperation with the Tribune-Tele-
gram.

This year once more it was KSL exclu-
sively that installed the giant public address
system informing a visual audience of thou-
sands as play progressed in the Yankee Sta-
dium and in the Polo Grounds.

KSL

The KSL photographer "caught" a por-
tion of the listening and watching crowd dur-
ing one of the games this fall. KSL's huge
speakers are shown in the circle, addressing
a traffic-stopping crowd that, on Salt Lake's
Main street heard the crack of bat on ball, the
cries of players and fans as the Yankees drove
to their world championship.

KSL continues to look for new outlets, new
means of serving the vast Intermountain and
Western audience that depends on "The
Voice of the West" for entertainment, for news,
for public events coverage.

THE VOICE
OF THE WEST

Patronize the Advertisers Who Appear in the "Era."

715

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

^ct^^^^^^^^^«^^«i^^K»^;

Christmas
Cards...

FOR 1937

K Are now ready for your inspection K

J Let Us Solve Your Christmas Card p:

K Problem J

0! Distinctive Cards R

f Reasonable Prices jf

II Order early to insure satisfaction W

4 ¥

6 Salt Lake Stamp Co. 2

rf 43 West Broadway Wasatch 3097 A

| Salt Lake City, Utah '

|M14i»(>^R-M'^()4>»ii

From Ox-Cart to
Automobile

From Broom to Vacuum
Cleaner

The housewife of today has, in the
ROYAL Cleaner the most perfect appli-
ance known for reducing labor in the
home and removing dust and its accom-
panying disease germs — convince your-
self by calling

WESTERN ROYAL
VACUUM CLEANER CO.

175 East Broadway, Salt Lake City, Utah
Wasatch 1448

SOLUTION TO OCTOBER PUZZLE

SCRIPTURAL CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Crowning the King (II Kings 11:12)

had called to

thine

1 "when

king"

2 "Because thou hast

hands"

10 "We . . . all like bears"

11 One of the "ihipmen" with Paul

when the ;hip was wrecked

12 Allure
14 Raise

16 "the people fled into . . . tents"

17 "clean . . . , and a pure heart"

18 Note

19 "thou hast ... me out this day"
21 The month that comes in ten

years
23 Unit of energy
25 Enterprise
27 ". . . forty years reigned he in

Jerusalem

WO. 10

ACROSS

the 34 Mandan is in this state, and the
state is in Mandan

35 Long narrow inlet

36 "neither after him arose there . . .
like him"

38 "and for the . . . that is in the
land of Assyria"

39 "O Lord our . . . , I beseech thee"
41 "come up, and . . . me out of the

hand of the king of Syria"
43 Bark of E. Indian tree; a

(anag.)
45 Bodies of partisans

47 New England state

48 A chill

49 Born

50 "they brought .
again"

and made a .

pine

king

ord

over them-

29 "And he . . . , To thee, O cap-

selves"

tain"

30 "both his . . . shall tingle"

Our Text from Kings is 1, 4, )6, 17,

32 "he reigned . . . year in Jerusa-

27, 29, 39, 41, 50, and 51 combined

lem"

DOWN

1 Threaten a fall; thrones do this

24 Car house

2 "The king of Moab . . . rebelled

26 This chapter of Second Kings tells

against me"

about the Syrian army being

3 "have . . . concerning the faith"

smitten with blindness

4 Animal held in high esteem in

28 Canadian province

Egypt, but not mentioned in the

31 City east of Bethel; animal

Bible

32 City in Egypt; preposition

5 Chinese weight; beginning of life

33 Empire State

6 Independent state in Europe

34 Six states

7 East Indian tree

36 "The fear of the Lord is the be-

8 Incited

ginning of wisdom" is one

9 Speck

37 "thou shalt not call her name . . . ,

10 Sun god

but Sarah shall her name be"

11 Light fabric

38 "Jehoshaphat ... the king of

13 Displayed

Judah"

15 Compass point

40 Large fish

17 Battle formation; sheer (anag.)

41 Continent

18 "and to be had in ... of all

42 New England state

them that are about him"

44 "And so . came to pass"

20 National officer

45 Hebrew letter in Psalm 119

22 Boiled down; second end (anag.)

46 Early English

716

The L+ IX $♦ Business College Spans Half a Century of Progress

— and the faculty of today maintain the ideals set by the founders of the school.

Milton H. Ross Heber C. Kimball

Penmanship Bookkeeping Accounting

Iris Irons

Typewriting

Edna B. Claw son
Typewriting

Joyce Richardson

Bookkeeping

Vernon F. Larsen

Ethics

Mabel Brown
Shorthand

Allien Russon

Shorthand

FERAMORZ Y. FOX, President

Believing that the strength of the insti-
tution is its faculty/ the L. D. S. Business
College has selected a staff of workers
who are not only experts in their re-
spective fields, but who are particularly
well qualified to promote the welfare of
young men and women,

It is the pledge of this school that every
student shall have the greatest possible
opportunity to qualify for business em-
ployment.

Information about courses, methods of
instruction, employment service, etc.,
will be gladly furnished.

Day and Evening Classes
All the Year

Florence P. Evans

Shorthand

Lillian R. Smith

Office Training

Miriam Parker

Office

Le Ray S. Howells

Accounting

Maud N. Leaver

Employment

Katie C. Jensen

Personal Development

Walter E. Elieson

Law, Salesmanship

Norma Knight

Stenotypy

Gweneth G. Gates E. Claud Jenson

Secretary Office Machines

Eugene C. Hinckley

Shorthand

Elsie Kienitz

Treasurer

Kenneth S. Bennion

English

Helen Shurtleff

Office

L. V. $♦ BUSINESS COLLEGE

70 North Main Street

(A Department of the L. D. S. College)

Salt Lake City, Utah

Wasatch 1812

717

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

THE OUTLAW OF NAVAJO MOUNTAIN

He crept around hurriedly to a po-
sition from which he could rake the
seats of that T Model as it passed,
waiting eagerly while it sped near-
er. Three men occupied the back
seat, two in front. Two cartridges
should finish the five of them.

In spite of his bead on the cov-
eted prize, his first shot pierced the
car just behind the men in the back
seat. Four inches ahead it would
have gone through the lungs of
Warren Allan, George Hurst, and
Frank Redd,

Of course Posey knew nothing of
how near or how far he had missed,
but he did know that little car rattled
right on and would be out of range
in a very few seconds, so he aimed
for a wheel and punctured a tire.
The machine wabbled and stopped
in an open space where no rocks or
banks could hide his prey from him.
They were his!

The five men in that car would
have been his game right away, but
John D. Rogers and Leland Redd
saw the smoke from his sniper's
nest and made life so perilous in that
vicinity that he got out in a hurry

(Continued from page 714)

and rushed on to join his people
before he was cut off from them.

Late on that March afternoon the
galloping fugitives approached
Ruin Spring, nine miles southwest
of Blanding, and appropriated six
horses grazing in a field. This rep-
resented all the plunder of the big
stir this far.

With their children sniveling for
supper and their goats panting and
ready to go on strike at this race-
horse style of travel, they entered
the narrow little gorge into Ruin
Spring Canyon. The general and
others waited there under cover to
stop any one who might disturb the
Indians while they made camp in
Cottonwood. The posse made no
attempt to follow, and in the early
evening the ambuscade moved on
to join the camp.

They had started now towards
The Big Trail, and every mile in
that direction should give them add-
ed security till they reached a point
where no one would dare to follow,
a point beyond which no pursuer
had ever survived. But what about
their people held under guard —
their gallant braves kept shamefully

as prisoners in Blanding? General
Posey had promised to accomplish
their rescue that night; he knew
they would expect it of him; and he
cudgled his brain for a way to do it.

He told his people to start before
the dawn, and to wait for him in
the Butler. Then he rode off in the
night on his black mare, sworn to
do the impossible. Somewhere on
the trail of his people that after-
noon, the posse would be dozing on
their saddles awaiting the morning.
Posey would not hazard finding
them, but he would follow the Cot-
tonwood to the old road.

He expected to find his prisoner-
tribesmen guarded at some open
camp in the streets of the town,
their guards in plain view and at
the mercy of whoever might plot
against them from the darkness. In-
stead, when he rode quietly into the
sleeping town he saw but one light,
and it was in the school house. His
people were confined in the base-
ment rooms with armed guards sta-
tioned at every entrance and per-
haps waiting in the rooms above to
meet every emergency.

(To be Continued)

IMPROVEMENT

THE Improvement Era has good reason at this time
proudly to review its progress during the past forty
years. From an humble beginning it has become an
influential chronicle of the lives and works of the young
men and women of a great Church.

Likewise, this Company reviews its progress with
pride and satisfaction. Thirty-four years of leadership
in the motor industry1. Thirty-four years spent in bring-
ing the motor car within reach of everyone. It is not
alone an industrial achievement, but a social accom-
plishment, as well.

We, with you, look forward with keen anticipation
to meritorious progress through the coming years.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

718

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 193 7

THE FLAMING TORCH

There is not a day passes in which this flaming
torch of carelessness does not add to its already enor-
mous total of fire destruction.

If fire descended on you tonight, and tomorrow
you found yourself without a home, where would the
money come from to replace and rebuild what you
have lost?

For more than fifty years the UTAH HOME FIRE
has stood the test of time, fires, panics and depres-
sions. It has paid millions of dollars in losses, and yet
its proudest asset is its reputation for commercial
honor and good faith.

See our Agent in your City.

Utah Home Fire Insurance Company

HEBER J. GRANT & CO., General Agents
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

When You Purchase Goods or Service Advertised Here Kindly Mention "The Improvement Era.

719

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

Over 40 years of service to
the intermountain territory.

"Everything for Office and
School"

CHURCH AND SEMINARY
FURNITURE

Salt Lake City, Utah

end a

JTriencHy
Oreeting

To your missionary
abroad.

It is not too early to make
your selection of CHRIST-
MAS GREETING CARDS
for that friend or relative
who is laboring in a
strange land amid strange
peoples.

Write or come in today.

Pif Deseret
JNews Press

29 Richards Street
Salt Lake City, Utah

FORTY YEARS OF SERVICE

(Continued from page 681)

And of this experience the Presi-
dent's daughter, Lucy G. Cannon,
has written:

The Improvement Era was almost born
in our home — it was at least nurtured
there after its birth. Father sent personal
letters by the thousands. We had several
typewriters and several of us children
learned to typewrite getting out Era letters.
We had a large dining room and an es-
pecially large dining room table. This
table would be pulled out and half a dozen
leaves put in it. Then we would all sit
around and some would fold; others would
write. Father was usually seated at the
end signing his name. We had half a
dozen enclosures to put into the envelopes,
so it took us all to get these letters ready
for the mail. Maybe that is the reason I
am so interested in and proud of The Im-
provement Era, because I feel I had a hand
in starting it. Father's interest in this
magazine has never waned from that day
to this and I think his work for it has
been one of his outstanding contributions
to the Church.

Tn these brief accounts one can

read of the humble beginning of
the magazine which in forty years
has grown in importance and power
because of the constant message it
has borne, and because of the men
who have fortified it. During all of
these forty years its two senior edi-
tors have been either members of
the First Presidency or Presidents
of the Church, successively.

In 1907, the magazine became the
official organ of the Seventies; in
1909, of all the Priesthood; in 1911
of all of the Church schools; in 1 924,
of the Music Committee of the
Church; in 1929, of the Young
Women's Mutual Improvement As-
sociation.

It was unique for a group of men
and women to go out among the
people without even a sample of
their proposed magazine and seek
subscriptions for it in sufficient num-
bers to pay for its publication. A
printed prospectus and the promise
of a magazine to follow was all they
had. Nothing but the missionary
spirit which characterized that un-
dertaking and which still character-
izes Era service, could have brought
success.

Joseph F. Smith, then Second
Counselor in the First Presidency,
and Elder B. H. Roberts, then a
member of the First Council of Sev-
enty, were named as editors of the
magazine which, at that time, did
not exist, and Elder Heber J. Grant,
then a member of the Council of the
Twelve, and a member of the Gen-
eral Superintendency of the Y. M.
M. I. A., was named as manager,
with Thomas Hull as his assistant.

The personnel of the magazine
changed but slightly during the suc-
ceeding years. Edward H. Ander-
son, a member of the committee
which President Roberts named,
was made an assistant editor during
the second year of the magazine's
existence, when President Roberts
was released to go to Washington,
leaving Joseph F. Smith and Ed-
ward H. Anderson as editors.

Other editors and assistant edi-
tors of the magazine have been Pres-
ident Heber J. Grant, assisted by
Edward H. Anderson until the lat-
ter's death, when, in 1928, Hugh
J. Cannon was made editor. After
the merging of the Era and the
Young Woman's Journal, Elsie Tal-
mage Brandley, editor of the maga-
zine for the Young Women, was
made associate editor of The Im-
provement Era. After the death of
Hugh J. Cannon in November of
1930, the writer was made man-
aging editor, and Mrs. Brandley
continued as associate editor. In
May of 1935, under the direction
of the First Presidency, Dr. John
A. Widtsoe, a member of the Coun-
cil of the Twelve, was made editor,
associated with President Grant
and Harrison R. Merrill. Once again
death struck, this time at Associate
Editor, Mrs. Brandley, who passed
away August 2, 1935, to be suc-
ceeded by Marba Cannon Joseph-
son. In January, 1936, the writer
was released to return to his school
work at Brigham Young University,
and Elder Richard L. Evans, the
present managing editor, who had
several years before been associated
with Dr. James E. Talmage and Dr.
Widtsoe in the editorship of the
Millennial Star, in Europe, was
made managing editor, with Mrs.
Marba C. Josephson, associate ed-
itor.

During his management of the
magazine, President Grant was as-
sisted by Thomas Hull, later, by
Alpha J. Higgs, and still later by
Moroni Snow. When President
Grant became editor, the vacancy
he left in the management was filled
by Elder Melvin J. Ballard, a mem-
ber of the Council of the Twelve,
and at that time a member of
the superintendency of the Y. M.
M. I. A.

In 1929 the General Superintend-
ency of the Young Men's Mutual
Improvement Association determin-
(Continued on page 722)

720

Watch for the "Era's" New Continued Story.

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

Above is pictured part of the 52 wagonloads of imported equip-
ment for America's first beet sugar factory, brought into Utah
in 1852 when freight from the Missouri River was $500.00 a ton.

3<oh ihe W&U-boinq. of OIL

th& (People.

The establishment and development of the beet
sugar industry in Utah represents, in a singular
sense, a practical application of one of the fun-
damental tenets of the Mormon Church — the
principle of "temporal salvation."

First ventured in 1852 by early Church lead-
ers, the intermountain beet sugar industry has
helped to bring to this people a higher degree
of self-reliance and prosperity, which has been
a boon both to producers and consumers. It
has assured to the housewife a dependable
supply of this essential food at a reasonable

price; it has provided to thousands of farmers
a sure cash crop; and it has increased industrial
payrolls. In short, it has promoted the general
prosperity and well-being of all the people.

THE AMALGAMATED SUGAR COMPANY is

proud of the part it has played in this program.

With a genuine feeling of kinship, we, therefore,
congratulate the Church leaders on the part
they have played in the encouragement of the
beet sugar industry; and we congratulate The
Improvement Era, on the celebration of its 40th
anniversary in business.

THE AMALGAMATED SUGAR COMPANY

Ogden, Utah

OFFICERS

M. S. ECCLES, President

H. A. BENN1NG, Vice-President and General Mgr.

G. B. RODMAN, Vice-President Sales

J. R. BACHMAN, SECRETARY AND TREASURER

DIRECTORS

S. F. BALLIF, JR.
G. I_. BECKER
E. G. BENNETT
H. A. BENNING
EDWARD L. BURTON

SYLVESTER Q. CANNON

M. S. ECCLES

S S ECCLES

STEPHEN L. RICHARDS. CHAIRMAN

J. F. SCOWCROFT

ARTHUR WINTER

721

THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, NOVEMBER, 1937

SHOULDER TO SHOULDER
For 40 YEARS

EVER since the IMPROVEMENT ERA began, it has cooperated
generously and effectively with Brigham Young University.
Both having the same great objective — to disseminate the
Gospel so that man may progress eternally, they have marched
side by side in friendly teamwork.

All four presidents of the University, Dr. Karl G. Maeser,
Dr. Benjamin Cluff, Jr., Dr. George H. Brimhall, and Dr. F. S.
Harris, have contributed to the "Era" and have in turn drawn
inspiration from its pages.

Therefore, on the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the
"Era," the Church University wishes to thank the Church Mag-
azine and its great leader, President Heber J. Grant, and to
hope that both may long continue to exercise a virile and in-
spired leadership.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

PROVO, UTAH

"Founded by an Empire-builder for the Builders of New Empires."

FROm

II]

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and experience will be accepted for training.

Program consists of preliminary training at home which will not interfere ■with present
employment, finishing with intensive practical training in our Laboratories and Shops.
Placement service to graduates. Write, giving age, phone, present employment, to
R. and A. C. Institute, No. 50 N. Main, Room 3.

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'CUSSMBUMUSIS

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